Tottenham Hotspur's squad faces the prospect of having their wages halved should the north London club suffer the ignominy of relegation from the Premier League this season.
The Lilywhites currently occupy sixteenth position in the table, sitting a mere four points clear of the drop zone with ten fixtures remaining.
Remarkably, Spurs have failed to secure a single domestic victory throughout 2026.
New head coach Igor Tudor, appointed to salvage the campaign following Thomas Frank's dismissal, has endured a torrid beginning to his tenure.
Most Tottenham players will see their contracts halved if they go down
|REUTERS
The Croatian has presided over consecutive defeats against Arsenal and Fulham, extending the club's winless league run to ten matches.
These salary reduction provisions were embedded into player contracts prior to Daniel Levy's departure from his role as executive chairman in September.
The clauses grant the club a degree of financial protection against the catastrophic scenario of losing their top-flight status.
Almost every senior member of the squad is bound by these mandatory terms.
However, two recent acquisitions appear exempt from such arrangements.
Conor Gallagher, who arrived from Atletico Madrid and earns a club-high £200,000-a-week wage, and Brazilian defender Sousa, signed from Santos in January, joined the club after Levy's exit.
Both players negotiated their terms under the new regime, potentially leaving them unaffected by the relegation wage provisions.
Tudor has acknowledged the gravity of the situation confronting his struggling side.
Following the weekend defeat at Craven Cottage, the former Marseille manager delivered a candid assessment of the challenge ahead.
"We know this is a big emergency," he stated. "We need to change a lot of things and put more effort into the game to try and win matches."
The Croatian also addressed the psychological fragility plaguing his players.
"Of course it is a confidence problem, it's not about systems," Tudor remarked. "We need to find forces inside each of us."
Igor Tudor has experienced a nightmare start to life at Tottenham | GETTYHe urged his squad to concentrate on developing their collective mentality rather than dwelling upon the spectre of demotion.
The Lilywhites face Crystal Palace at home on Thursday evening before travelling to Spain for their Champions League last-sixteen first leg against Atletico Madrid on March 10.
Should the unthinkable occur, it would mark Tottenham's first descent into English football's second tier since 1977.
The club remains one of only six ever-present members of the Premier League since its inception in 1992.
Relegation would trigger substantial consequences beyond mere sporting embarrassment, potentially forcing a significant restructuring of the playing squad.
Several of the club's most valuable assets would likely seek departures, whilst revenue streams built upon top-flight participation would face severe disruption.