Arsenal have already been planning for the possibility of Premier League relegation amid a tough start to this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side are currently 15th in the table, having picked up just 14 points from their opening 14 matches.
They are only four points clear of the relegation zone and need to plug a seven point gap to even return to the top half of the table.
Fourth-placed Everton are 12 points above them, while league leaders Liverpool have more than twice as many points as the Gunners.
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While relegation still feels a farfetched possibility, Arsenal have contingency plans in place if they do go down, according to The Telegraph.
A number of players would face huge pay cuts if the club was to drop down to the Championship.
Unlike Chelsea in 2015, who were 16th in the Premier League table in December, Arsenal have protected themselves against the financial impact of getting relegated.
While most of Arsenal’s traditional rivals don’t plan for the threat of relegation by inserting reduction clauses in players’ contracts, the Gunners have inserted them into deals.
The practice is thought to be relatively new given most players in Arsene Wenger’s era at the club never had them. While it is not common for the top sides in the division to plan for relegation with such clauses, it is typical for other sides outside the ‘Bix Six’.
Several payers will be obliged to take a 25% paycut if they go down. Arsenal have not been relegated since the 1912/13 season when the finished bottom of the old First Division.
Despite their perilous position, Arteta is said to have the support of the club’s executives and the majority of the first-team squad although there are reports of disquiet among some players.
