5 Premier League Players With Ballon d’Or Clauses Including Anthony Martial

• Anthony Martial can be considered a flop for Manchester United after eight years at the club
• He could leave at the end of this season with Erik ten Hag planning a major summer clearout
• Martial has a Ballon d’Or clause in the transfer that brought him to England from Monaco

Anthony Martial produced another dismal performance for Manchester United against West Ham United yesterday. Club and fans alike have had enough and would be willing to move him on in the summer.

When he joined as a teenager from Monaco, there were high hopes for him, so much so that a Ballon d’Or clause was inserted in his contract, but he has failed to live up to that expectation.

Sports Brief looks at other inward transfers to the Premier League that had Ballon d’Or clauses.

1. Anthony Martial

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According to BBC Sports, the Red Devils paid £36 million upfront for the French striker on the 2015 summer transfer window deadline. The fee could have risen to £58 mil with add-ons, including the Ballon d’Or clause worth £7.2 mil.

He is yet to be nominated for the award since his move to Manchester United despite winning the Golden Boy award in 2015.

2. Mohamed Salah

Spanish outlet, Don Balon reported, via Sportskeeda, that the Egyptian has a secret clause in his Liverpool contract that would be activated if he wins the Ballon d’Or. He has finished in the top five twice: in 2019 and in 2022.

3. Bruno Fernandes

According to Caught Offside, the Portuguese has a clause in his transfer that would see Manchester United pay €5 mil to Sporting each time he is named in the top three of the prestigious award. His best finish so far was 21st in 2021.

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4. Thiago Alcantara

According to Daily Star, Liverpool only paid £5 mil upfront to Bayern Munich for the veteran midfielder in 2020. The remaining £26 mil is clause-based on winning the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo

The five-time winner of the prestigious award re-signed for Manchester United in 2021, with a clause inserted in the contract. He would have been paid £1 mil if he had won the award, but he did not and left England in January.

Alan Shearer slams Anthony Martial

Sports Brief also reported on former Premier League record goal-scorer, Alan Shearer slamming Martial as 'not good enough' to play for Manchester United.

A return of nine league goals in three seasons proves his point, with the Frenchman earning £250,000 despite being a passenger for most of his time at the club.