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Manchester United gave Alexis Sanchez a contract that could earn him more than £25 million (NZ$48.6 million) a year should he hit all his bonuses, including £75,000 (NZ$145,804) for every game he starts, according to the latest Football Leaks revelations.
The confidential contract information of a number of leading Premier League players has been published by the German magazine Der Spiegel in the book Football Leaks: Uncovering The Dirty Deals Behind the Beautiful Game, laying out the eye-watering terms for some of the big deals of the last two transfer windows.
Sanchez, who joined United from Arsenal in a deal in which Henrikh Mkhitaryan went the other way, is alleged to earn a basic salary of £391,000 (NZ$760,125) a week with £75,000 (NZ$145,804) paid as a bonus for every first-team game he starts.
The book's allegations, published by The Daily Mail, also allege that the 29-year-old, who has a five-year deal at United, is entitled to a £1.1 million (NZ$2.1 million) annual signing-on fee.
In addition, he could earn £2m (NZ$3.8 million) for reaching a combination of 40 goals and assists; £1m (NZ$1.9 million) if United win the Champions League and £500,000 (NZ$972,027) for winning the Premier League.
Alexis Sanchez of Manchester United celebrates after scoring. Photo / Getty Images
The numbers reveal just what a strong position Sanchez put himself in by running his contract down to its final five months and insisting that his financial demands be met.
Jose Mourinho has defended the player's occasionally indifferent form, saying that he will be better next season.
Arsenal replaced him with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang whose contract details Der Spiegel also claim to have seen including a £2.26m (NZ$5.05 million) Champions League bonus which he will allegedly receive despite Arsenal finishing sixth this season.
Aubameyang will earn £198,000 (NZ$384,923) a week, totalling £10.3m (NZ$20 million) annually, with a £15.15m (NZ$29.45 million) loyalty bonus payable over the next three years.
He will earn £300,000 (NZ$583,216) for getting a combined 25 goals and assists in a season and £50,000 (NZ$97,202) for each match he starts that Arsenal win.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates after scoring a goal. Photo / Getty Images
Mkhitaryan commanded less than those two but, despite failing to make the grade at United, he will earn £7.5m (NZ$14.6 million) annually at Arsenal for three years and that will rise to £12.5m (NZ$24.3 million) if the club decide to exercise an option to keep him.
By comparison, the season's outstanding player, Mohamed Salah, seems to have been acquired relatively cheaply by Liverpool.
He is on a weekly wage of £123,030 (NZ$239,177)and has hit his £2.5m (NZ$4.8 million) bonus target of 35 combined goals and assists.
Virgil Van Dijk, who commanded a record-breaking £70m (NZ$136 million) fee for a defender when Liverpool signed him from Southampton in January, earned a weekly basic wage of £124,658 (NZ$242,342) with a £6m (NZ$11.6 million) bonus on signing.
He was given a £5m (NZ$9.7 million) loyalty bonus and another £4m (NZ$7.7 million) loyalty bonus on playing 150 games.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on May 6. Photo / Getty Images
He is also incentivised per clean sheet the team keeps, starting at 18, as well as £20,000 (NZ$38,881) for every goal he scores.
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, who signed for £75m (NZ$145.8 million) from Everton in the summer, is on a £7.8m (NZ$15.1 million) basic salary and a £4.5m (NZ$8.7 million) bonus for 50 combined goals and assists – a number which he has fallen short of this season.
He also has a £2.4m (NZ$4.6 million) loyalty payment and £1.96m (NZ$3.81 million) in payments for marketing rights. Gylfi Sigurdsson would have earned another £2.5m had Everton qualified for the Champions League.
