A Guide to Contractual Bonuses in Football

Long gone are the days when a player would sign with a club and get a basic salary. In the modern game, bonuses and rewards are often attached to contracts and can incentivize players to perform, while protecting the club from high-paid underperformers. As a result, the bonus has become a part of the English football contract. Below, we provide a guide to the main ones found in football today.

Appearances

In any field, bonuses work when they are done correctly. As a case study, King Casino recently found that personalized bonuses, particularly free slot game spins, had increased player retention drastically between 2022 and 2023, with an indication that they could help retain players by up to 39%. While the playfield is different, in football the sentiment and psychology are just the same. Bonuses reward players and help them stay at the club.

Appearances are the most basic of bonuses that can be offered. On top of a basic wage, a player will be reimbursed every time they make an appearance playing on the field. For example, it was rumored that Alexis Sanchez, in his move from Manchester City to United, was getting £75,000 per appearance on top of his salary.

These can be broken down even further. For example, a player may get a percentage of this if they come off the bench. Some may even offer a system whereby the game's additional fees are worked out in monetary terms.

It is obvious to see how this spurs players on. If you don't make the team, you are not making the extra money. This can cause players to push further, harder, and perform better to get and retain a spot on the first team.

Loyalty Bonus

A loyalty bonus is a payment made when a player has been at the club for a specified period of time. For example, they may have to complete two seasons to claim a loyalty bonus. They may have had to make a certain number of first-team appearances as well.

Loyalty bonuses make a lot of sense. Good players are valuable, and no one wants a team that is transient with a whole new roster every season. Thus, these bonuses keep players anchored to a squad.

Sometimes, they can be broken down into sections. For example, if a player has a three-year contract, the loyalty bonus may be given in four installments if the player remains in the team at various points.

Statistics-Based Bonuses

Statistic-based bonuses are based on the stats in a match and can vary depending on the player. Forwards may be offered a goal bonus which is given every time they score.

Midfielders may have assist bonuses, for when they go down on the sheet as having helped set a goal up. Goalkeepers may have a clean sheet bonus if they don't let anything into the back of the net.

Unique bonuses

When you get to the top of the food chain, with the biggest signings of all, unique clauses may start to enter contracts. One of these is a match highest earner clause. This stipulates that if any xnew signings/blog/how-big-transfers-change-club-strategies come to the club, the player must have their earnings matched with that of the player. Even managers may have this inserted into their contracts.

The downside is that it can deter clubs from seeking out certain players, and can even hinder their signing process. They may have the capacity to play the superstar wages of one player, but not match it with that of the other. Thus, most clubs would tend to avoid this.

The concept of a bonus works in any field, from the boardroom to the dressing room. Even at the highest level, players will be motivated by the amount they can earn in goals and appearances. No doubt in the future, these astronomical sums will only increase, but will hopefully result in even better football.