Manchester United have set a new Premier League wage budget record as they also announced a net loss of £115.5million for the 2021/22 season.
The Red Devils ended up with their lowest points tally ever last season, having accumulated just 58 from their 38 matches and finished in sixth, qualifying for the Europa League in the meantime. This was 16 points and four places below the previous campaign, where United finished second behind Manchester City.
However, despite a decrease in performance, the Red Devils' annual wage bill soared to £384.2m with the eye-watering figures related to the huge pay packet given to talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. on his return Meanwhile, figures that incorporated the final quarter of their financial year, which ended in June, showed that losses rose by £23m on the previous 12 months.
The club's net debt also rose, from £419.5m in 2021 to £514.9m this year, an increase of more than 22 per cent. United put that rise of £95.4m primarily down to £64.6m of unrealised foreign exchange losses on the retranslation of borrowings in United States dollars.
With a focus on United's finances, here's a look at their top 10 highest earners, as per Spotrac.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo - £515,385-per-week
There is little surprise who tops the list, with Ronaldo at the front of the queue with a weekly wage of £515,000. This is over £100,000 more than any other player at the club - a similar feat to his time at Juventus where he was by far their most paid player. The 37-year-old, who scored 24 goals in all competitions last term, has made just two Premier League starts all season.
2. David de Gea - £375,000-per-week
Coming in at number two is experienced goalkeeper De Gea, with the Spaniard currently in his 12th season at the Red Devils following his move from Atletico Bilbao in 2011. He is given around £375,000 per-week - which makes him the highest paid 'keeper in world football ahead of Ederson, Alisson and Jan Oblak. It is a crazy statistic for a 'keeper who conceded 58 times and kept just eight clean sheets in the league last season.
3. Jadon Sancho - £350,000-per-week
One of United's best performers this term, Sancho is United's third highest paid player with a weekly wage packet of £350,000. That is almost quadruple to what he was on at Borussia Dortmund, with Sancho earning around £100,000 at the German club. After an underwhelming first season at United, Sancho has started the campaign impressively, scoring three times in eight matches so far.
4. Raphael Varane - £340,000-per-week
Like Sancho, Varane was brought to the Red Devils in summer 2021 as he joined in a big-money deal from Real Madrid. Many thought this was a risk for the centre-back, but United were willing to pay him £340,000 per-week - more than what he was on at Los Blancos. The 29-year-old has an unearthing amount of quality, however, and will no doubt be crucial if United are to mount a top-four push.
5. Casemiro - £300,000-per-week
A new arrival in the summer, United were desperate to bring in a new central midfielder and Casemiro is the man they went for, and got. The 30-year-old put pen to paper on a four-year with weekly wages of £300,000 - an astonishing commitment for a player entering into the latter stages of his career. However, there is no doubt Casemiro still has excellent qualities to do a superb job week-in-week-out in front of that back-four.
6. Anthony Martial - £250,000-per-week
Some United fans are surprised Martial is still at the football club. The 26-year-old joined the Red Devils as a teenager back in 2015 and has played under four different permanent managers, including Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. Martial is still under contract at United, though, and earns £250,000 despite recording just one goal in all competitions last season - the worst return of his professional career to date.
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7. Bruno Fernandes - £240,000-per-week
United's final signing before the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the country, Fernandes is seventh on the list with a weekly wage of £240,000. The Portuguese superstar showed his worth during his first full season at the Red Devils, chipping in with 28 goals and 17 assists in 55 matches - the most combined out of any Premier League player. But Fernandes has failed to deliver on a regular basis since the start of last season and has subsequently been criticised by large portions of the United fanbase.
8. Marcus Rashford - £200,000-per-week
Having started the season superbly, there has been some calls for Rashford to be back in the England squad for the World Cup. But the 24-year-old was unavailable for selection for the most recent squad due to injury, with his chances looking unlikely now. He is still earning £200,000 per-week at the Red Devils, after striking over 100 goals since making his first-team debut in February 2016.
9. Harry Maguire - £189,904-per-week
The first player on less than £200,000 per-week is Harry Maguire, with the world's most expensive ever defender squeezing into the top 10. The Sheffield-born centre-back pockets around £189,000 a week - more than fellow defenders Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez. Maguire, who has been a mainstay in the United side since his arrival from Leicester in 2019, has recently lost his place in the side to Varane and could struggle to force his way back into the XI given the Frenchman's form.
10. Christian Eriksen - £150,000-per-week
Despite reportedly wanting north of £200,000, Eriksen currently earns £150,000 which makes him the 10th most expensive player at Old Trafford. The 30-year-old earned a dream move to United in the summer after only making 11 appearances for Brentford as he returned to football as he suffered a cardiac arrest at the Euro's in 2021. He has impressed during his time at the Red Devils thus far, occupying a deeper midfield position.
