Manchester City net multi-million cash prize owing to clause in ex-player’s contract | OneFootball

Manchester City have won a £2 million cash prize as Sunderland secured promotion to the Premier League courtesy of a dramatic EFL Championship play-off final win over Sheffield United at Wembley.

Sunderland will join Leeds United and Burnley in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign as the trio of Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester City make their way to the EFL Championship after being relegated this season.

Tyrese Campbell put Sheffield United ahead after 25 minutes in the play-off final before goals from Eliezer Mayenda and Tom Watson completed a thrilling comeback for Sunderland, who will be back in the Premier League next season – for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.

Sunderland’s promotion will prove financially lucrative for the club and the Manchester Evening News have reported that Régis Le Bris’ side have also landed Manchester City a multi-million cash prize en route to the Premier League.

Owing to clause entered into Patrick Roberts’ contract when he joined Sunderland from Manchester City in 2022, Sunderland are obliged to pay £2 million to Roberts’ former club, where he spent six years.

Clauses were inserted in Roberts’ Manchester City contract – which had six months left before he signed for Sunderland – that were contingent on the 28-year-old helping the play-off final winners rise up the pyramid.

The potential net fee Sunderland owe Manchester City – following their return to the Premier League – reaches £3 million – and Pep Guardiola’s side need all the cash they can get as they look to rebuild and challenge on all fronts next term.

Manchester City are eyeing four to five first-team signings after a sub-standard 2024-25 campaign and after failing to tempt Florian Wirtz to the Etihad Stadium to replace Kevin De Bruyne, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders are next in line.

City are expected to complete the signing of Gibbs-White after reportedly agreeing personal terms with the 25-year-old England international. The Blues are also set to make an opening bid for Reijnders to test AC Milan’s resolve.

A right-back is also on the agenda for Manchester City, who will see Kyle Walker leave the club on a permanent basis when he returns from a loan spell at AC Milan, whom the Sheffield-born defender joined in January after a disastrous drop in form that saw him lose his place in Guardiola’s starting XI.

A new goalkeeper could also be on the cards as uncertainty looms over the future(s) of Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno, both of whom could leave the 2023 treble winners this summer, with a wholesale change of guard expected to get Manchester City competing for the Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles next season.