£9,000 EACH TO BEAT UNITED

Manchester moneybags have already forked out £459,000

Man United 4, Man City 3

Manchester United won a pulsating derby with rivals City.

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By Neil Ashton, 19/09/2009

MONEYBAGS Manchester City have paid their players a staggering £459,000 in bonuses already this season.

In addition to their sky-high salaries, City's stars - like Gareth Barry (right) - are on a jaw-dropping £9,000 a man to beat Manchester United today.

The club's owner Sheikh Mansour will fork out £99,000 to the starting line-up if they beat United - plus another £27,000 if all three substitutes are used. City's bonus system is by far the biggest in the Premier League - outstripping the £5,000 paid at Chelsea and £4,000 at United.

The bonus structure - which was registered with the Premier League at the start of the season - guarantees the players £3,000 a point.

Just one month into the season, ever-presents such as Shay Given, Kolo Toure (bottom) and Craig Bellamy (below) have already bagged an extra £36,000 each.

The club's annual wage bill smashed through the £100million a year barrier in the summer.

If they finish in the top four of the Premier League, City will be committed to paying around £4m in bonuses to their players.

City's scheme blows their rivals out of the water and is another indication of the club's financial clout under Sheikh Mansour and their intention to shake up the Big Four at the top of the Premier League.

Even non-playing substitutes get in on the act and are paid around £300 for each point secured in the Premier League.

City's players are also on £200,000 a man to win the title, with further incentives for FA Cup or Carling Cup glory.

Manchester City's forgotten man Roque Santa Cruz is being lined up for a return to training this week.

The Paraguayan striker has yet to play for City since his £18m capture from Blackburn in the summer.

He needed surgery on a knee problem that had bothered him most of last season and is only now coming back to fitness.

Santa Cruz is expected to play in a reserve clash in two weeks' time before stepping in Mark Hughes' first team plans.

Your comments

This article has 23 comments

About time City. Bonus payments are the way forward in that Man City are rewarding success. Its when clubs have high earners that dont perform for their respective clubs that i have a problem.

By Windy Miller.. Posted September 25 2009 at 8:56 AM.

Man city save £459,000 =-)

By fred the red.. Posted September 20 2009 at 3:33 PM.

Money won't guarantee Manchester City any title. Quote me they won't be among the top four at the end of the day. The only threat remains Tottenham. It is going to be the traditional four of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. I am a GUNNER 4EVER.

By Bola Fasule.. Posted September 20 2009 at 1:25 PM.

The first time I read this I was shoked but then realised we aare the richest club i the world so why not? We are at the stage now that we can pay lots of money for the players we want, even if they arn't world class. The fact that they get paid 1/5 of a million pound if they win the title is good in someways because it gives them that extra urge to play better.

Come on you blues today!

By Bruce.. Posted September 20 2009 at 12:41 PM.

there is a load of city fans on here saying how they have this much money etc, blah blah blah. the fact as simple. if the sheikhs pull out of siddeh then can they sustain themselves as a club, could they pay the wage bill etc from the gate receipts and merchandising? i seriously doubt it. yes united may be in debt because of the glazers but we continue to make our own money and can comfortably pay off the bills etc. city will never be as big as united, they will never have uniteds history, unless the sheikhs are going to try and buy that also. LOL.

By foxyboy07.. Posted September 20 2009 at 11:11 AM.

Seriously people, both sets of fans are jealous! UTD obviously envy the money, i'm pretty sure they wanted more signings than they got, but you blues saying forget the trophies becuase of the debt! You would all swap places in a heartbeat to have utd's histoiry!

By Dave.. Posted September 20 2009 at 11:02 AM.

I honestly and truely think that united fans are now worried about our blue shirted heroes, their having a moan like their manager, well today is judgement day the day all united fans start hiding behind dustbins. In the old days when City was the top dogs a united fan was like rocking horse do-do they have already buried their heads in the sand.Their debt is why Fergie is at odds with himself he has not had the cash unlike his counterparts who are awash with it. 9 Grand in bonuses no wonder united fans are jealous I would rather be in City's position than a cupboard full of cups and a crippling debt never mind the debt will grow but the cups will diminish.

By Sabby.. Posted September 20 2009 at 10:44 AM.

Can i ask are any of you lot that are arguing about the biggest team in manchester etc actually from manchester or even england???

By wayne.. Posted September 20 2009 at 10:35 AM.

I am neithe the fan of both Manchester's but having seen most of my football all thse years the top four are still Arsenal..Chelsea. Liverpool and....
Manchester United!!!!!....not Manchester City..Dream on Mark...you are still a baby to Fergie..only money from the shieks keep you alive..next season you will be shown the door...

By robert.. Posted September 20 2009 at 10:14 AM.

They wont be paying any bonuses today.

By Carl Warmington.. Posted September 20 2009 at 10:15 AM.

Yes, I'm sure City will make some noise this year because they have made some decent buys, They could probably win the Carling Cup, but after all is said and done they will NEVER have the success of the Red Devils...NOT in this lifetime. Man U will win today and all this silly talk will stop!

By RtripleA.. Posted September 20 2009 at 9:15 AM.

what is the problem with all the reds and there manager are they worried that much we will soon be the biggest club in manchester and by the way they are not from manchester (SALFORD)

By paul.. Posted September 20 2009 at 8:19 AM.

u may have all da cash but we have the medals come on united put city in there place. rooney hatrick

By paul.. Posted September 20 2009 at 7:54 AM.

city is bad

By jerok babi .. Posted September 20 2009 at 7:14 AM.

WOW!Im amazed from a liverpool fan!!

By elnino.. Posted September 20 2009 at 6:18 AM.

I AM A ARSENAL FAN SO I MIGHT BE HATED AFTER THESE COMENTS BUT MAN CITY ARE NOWARE GOING TO BE THE KINGS OF MANCHESTER AND FOR WHAT THERE GETING IN BOUNUS IS THAT THE BEST WAY OF GETING 100% OUT OF YOUR PLAYERS IM NOT SURE WHAT GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THAY ARE NOT GETING THOSE HUGE BONUSES MAN CITY ALL THEY CAN WIN IS THE CARLING CUP

By JENKINS.. Posted September 20 2009 at 6:02 AM.

Stick, you're wrong on a couple of counts, it is oil initially that will be paying for the City Revolution and then more recently it's real estate investment around the world.
And our owners are not from dubai they are from Abu Dhabi there is a big difference.

By Blueboy.. Posted September 20 2009 at 4:18 AM.

Karl I think you'll find that the owner of Man City hasn't made his money from oil. He's made his money from real estate in Dubai. So telling people to fill their cars up with oil is just stupid.

By Stick.. Posted September 20 2009 at 3:53 AM.

Soccer is no longer a game for the true fans
Thanks to those mean rich ones'I willgo back to watching Walton&Hersham at Stompond Lane but never the Manchester boys.Ipromise those sheikhs.

By yuz Butt.. Posted September 20 2009 at 2:25 AM.

There will always be 1 king in Manchester and that will be The Champions,most expensive in the world etc The Red Devilssssssssssssssssssss!
YOU GET ME BLOOD.......!

By The Devil.. Posted September 20 2009 at 1:30 AM.

keep on filling those cars united 'fans'. More than a million a day just in interest for our owners. Nice one

By Karl.. Posted September 20 2009 at 1:14 AM.

RAMEL how can u say that pal man utd have spent loads an loads year after year an now city got sum money all you armchair mancs have got to buy a blue top as well

By wacka48.. Posted September 20 2009 at 1:18 AM.

There will be always one king of Manchester, and its the red devils. Money won't change that. You will hafta win more fans, and that is not going to happen in next 20 yrs.
Keep spending sheik. You are helping the british economy. At least govt will get some of that money out of tax which was untouchable if it was in Dubai.

By Ramel.. Posted September 20 2009 at 12:57 AM.

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