I agree that relegation clauses would be of little interest to the rich/big clubs.
BUT I'd like to think Boro will be more pragmatic in the future.
I've not done my research admittedly but I bet teams like Brentford, Luton, Sheff Utd, Burnley and others will have some degree of wage insurance protection in case of relegation. I'd imagine ambitious champo teams like Norwich and West Brom too????
IIRC a few of our 'names' left straightaway after relegation which did help our finances.
Ramirez was completely mercenary and was always going to leave.
Valdes & Negredo were never going to want to play in the Championship.
Sliding door moments and that.
But I was surprised and pleased at the time how many players we kept on after relegation.
I guess part of our infamous attempt to 'smash the league'?
eg, Traore, Downing, Bamford, Ayala, Gibson, Gestede (£5m Leeds bid rejected
), Leadbitter, Clayton.
I thought at the time we had a great chance of going back up straight away.
We were left with probably the largest wage bill in the Championship for the next 3-5 years.
An amount super-enlarged by some awful summer signings such as Britt and Fletcher.
Underperforming regularly yet knowing we were the biggest spenders was not a good feeling.
Transfers out summer 2018 where we got a few quid back
Stuani, Rhodes, Fischer, De Roon, Forshaw