Manchester City players will lose £500,000-a-man in bonuses if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season . The Premier League title holders give star players like Sergio Aguero , David Silva , Joe Hart and Yaya Toure incentivised contracts to make sure the club stay within financial fairplay requirements and they will miss out on a big payday if City fail to reach the group stages of Europe 's top competition . Manuel Pellegrini 's lost to rivals Manchester United in the 169th Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday with their European hopes still in the balance . Manchester City stars such as Sergi Aguero could miss out on £500k bonuses if they finish fifth . Manuel Pellegrini 's team are on incentivised contracts to stay within financial fairplay rules . City are in fourth place and will be just four points ahead of main rivals Liverpool after defeat in the Manchester derby and if Brendan Rodgers ' side beat Newcastle United on Monday . The top three finishers in the Premier League qualify automatically for the Champions League with the fourth-place team required to win a qualifying round to join them . In total , the City squad have around £12million resting on reaching their European target . Pellegrini has admitted City have let their season disintegrate after starting 2015 joint-top with Chelsea . They have subsequently lost seven times including early exits in the FA Cup and Champions League . Yaya Toure is another player who could miss out on a big payday if City fail to finish in the top four . Joe Hart and James Milner look dejected at the end of City 's defeat to Crystal Palace last week . April 19 West Ham United ( H ) April 25 Aston Villa ( H ) May 3 Tottenham Hotspur ( A ) May 10 Queens Park Rangers ( H ) May 17 Swansea City ( A ) May 24 Southampton ( H ) 'In the last three months , we have thrown it into the garbage , ' admitted the City manager . 'We are doing some things very badly , that ’ s why we must improve . ' They now face a battle to sign world-class players like Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba who also interests United . Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal saw his side go four points clear of City after the victory and is confident of adding top-class talent in the next transfer window . ' I do n't have any doubt that players are coming to Manchester United , ' he said .
City 's players are on incentivised contracts because of financial fairplay . They will lose £500k each if they miss out on Premier League . Manuel Pellegrini 's team are currently fourth in Champions League . But they are only four points ahead of fifth-placed Southampton .