Ndidi, Iheanacho face 50 per cent pay cut

Super Eagles duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho faces a fifty per cent cut in wages if Leicester City is relegated.

Already, the club have scrapped their end-of-season awards dinner with the club facing relegation to the Championship.

Ahead of the crucial date with Liverpool on Monday night, the crisis engulfing Leicester is deepening with the club axing the annual event as senior officials believe it will be inappropriate.

With the 2016 Premier League title winners now two points adrift of safety, the full focus is on the final three matches that will have a huge impact on the club’s future.

It is understood that a provisional date for the awards night had been set for next week, but the decision was taken to cancel it earlier this month.

As Leicester prepare for a potentially pivotal match, it can also be revealed that the club’s players will have their salaries slashed by up to 50 per cent in the event of relegation.

After posting record pre-tax losses of £92.5 million earlier this year, some supporters have been fearing further financial pain with Leicester’s squad not having relegation reductions in their contracts.

However, the clauses are believed to be between 35 and 50 per cent for all players and it is normal procedure for the majority of Premier League clubs.

Though Leicester are still in with a chance of survival, potential targets are being identified for the Championship.

Martyn Glover, the head of senior recruitment, and his staff are focusing on young players already performing in the second tier: Aston Villa’s loanees Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey are impressing at Middlesbrough and regarded as the type of players Leicester should be signing. 

Leicester’s head coach Dean Smith is demanding a reaction after the 5-3 drubbing at Fulham last Monday and has moved to defend Youri Tielemans after the midfielder emerged as a target for angry fans.

Tielemans is coming under scrutiny after being named as Smith’s captain, despite turning down numerous offers over the last two years to sign a new contract.

The Belgium international is set to leave as a free agent this summer and fans regard who they perceive as a wantaway player leading their battle against relegation as a symbol of the malaise.

He was booed in the defeat at Craven Cottage as players were subjected to chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt”.

Yet Smith has thrown his support behind the £32 million signing from Monaco and insisted his loyalty cannot be questioned.

“I’m completely comfortable with his commitment, I’ve seen nothing but a committed player in and around the training ground and on the pitch,” he said.

“I’m very good at reading people and as soon as I met Youri, you know that football means a lot to him. Without a shadow of a doubt, he cares.

“He’s a captain who is very focused and tactically astute, so he knows the game. He’s got qualities that we need in the team.

“He’s one that the other players will follow because of his professionalism to the game. There’s all different type of leaders as we know.” 

Leicester face Liverpool second-bottom in the table and without a clean sheet in their last 20 matches.