text: 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 don't have any doubt that players are coming to Manchester United,' he said.
target: City's players are on incentivised contracts because of financial fairplay .
  They will lose £500k each if they miss out on Champions League .
  Manuel Pellegrini's team are currently fourth in Premier League .
  But they are only four points ahead of fifth-placed Southampton .