Stoke City will need to pay Liverpool another £500,000 as part of Joe Allen’s £13million transfer should Mark Hughes’s side finish inside the top ten.
The clause in Allen’s deal has emerged the week Liverpool were banned on signing academy players as a result of breaking rules by offering a Stoke youngster inducements to leave.
Stoke have finished ninth for the last three seasons but have dropped down to 11th ahead of Liverpool’s visit to the bet365 Stadium after three straight defeats. Should Allen help his new club to tenth or higher Liverpool will receive £500,000 payment as reward.