Louis Van Gaal's Reported Manchester United Sacking Fee, Bonus Clauses Revealed

Manchester United would reportedly have to pay manager Louis van Gaal £5 million if they decide to sack him at the end of this season, while the Dutchman would lose out on £1 million of his annual salary if the Red Devils fail to qualify for next year’s UEFA Champions League.

That’s according to Matt Hughes of the Times, who claimed over half of Van Gaal’s £8 million wages are based on bonuses and clauses. Those include a £400,000 bonus if United win the FA Cup and a £5 million pay-off if he’s prematurely let go.

Per Luke Gardener of the Daily Star, citing Hughes' article, his guaranteed wages amount to £3.3 million per year. He has already missed out on a £1.5 million bonus for winning this year’s Champions League, as well as a £200,000 bonus for a successful League Cup campaign.

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According to the report, the £5 million pay-off will be valid unless Van Gaal finds another job before June 2017.

United sit four points behind rivals Manchester City in fourth in the Premier League standings, but the Red Devils still have a game in hand. Arsenal are three points ahead of City, and the three clubs are expected to battle it out for the two remaining Champions League tickets.

Van Gaal has been with United since 2014 but has yet to win any silverware. He’ll have the chance to change that on Saturday, May 21, when the Red Devils are set to meet Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final.

Appearing on Beyond the Pitch (h/t ESPN FC), United legend Roy Keane said victory at Wembley should be enough for the Dutchman to keep his job:

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It was always going to be difficult, even for David Moyes, after Alex Ferguson, but I think if United can win the cup -- it might be difficult to finish fourth -- I don't see why United won't let him finish out the last year of his contract.

I think Van Gaal has made it clear he'd like to do that, and I hope he does.

I don't like sitting around watching managers suffering and I think if they can win the FA Cup then it might just give him the breathing space to finish the job off next year -- and that, when we're talking about Manchester United, is winning league titles, et cetera.

"

Per the report, Van Gaal suggested he believes he will be allowed to finish his contract, which is set to expire next summer, while former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is keen to replace him at the end of the season.

Van Gaal has suffered through two difficult seasons at Old Trafford, receiving plenty of criticism for the team’s dull playing style and poor results, per BBC Sport.

The fans also haven’t kept quiet, and when Van Gaal made it clear he wants to stay with the club beyond this summer, the Peoples Person didn’t hide his feelings:

A £5 million sacking fee would be a steep sum to pay, however, and there are no guarantees Mourinho—or another replacement—would fare any better. The Red Devils are in a transitional period, after all, and the team has relied heavily on youngsters who normally wouldn’t be rushed into action.

Van Gaal has done wonderful work with some of the young players, and another year under the Dutchman could set the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on an even quicker path to success.

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