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Manchester United have been known for forking out sumptuous amounts of money in certain instances. However, in recent years, the Red Devils have surpassed every other club, barring Manchester City, in terms of high-level spending.
Once relying on their academy in search of future stars, Manchester United have amassed the second-highest net spend in the past five years among all European clubs. With so many expensive signings being sanctioned by United officials recently, the club has completely embraced the shift in their transfer policy.
Manchester United and their expenditure lately
The 20-time Premier League champions have spent more than €50m on a single transfer in all but one year since 2013. Romelu Lukaku, Angel Di Maria and current club captain Harry Maguire are some of the notable and most exorbitant signings made by Manchester United in recent years.
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However, the pick of the bunch has to be Paul Pogba's €105m homecoming from Juventus in 2016.
In the transfer window just gone by, Manchester United proved to be the second-biggest spenders in all of Europe, only behind their Premier League rivals Arsenal. Nevertheless, the Red Devils seem to have gotten their money's worth, acquiring Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo for a combined fee of just €140m.
With such extravagant expenditures on transfers, Manchester United have been able to attract some of the biggest names in modern football. However, they possess a tendency to hand bulky paychecks from time to time for not-so-worthy players.
As a result, the English giants have one of the costliest wage bills in all of football. On that note, let's take a look at five of the most overpaid players that are currently registered on Manchester United's books:
(Note: all wages are taken from spotrac.com)
#5 Juan Mata - £160,000 per week
At number five is Spanish veteran Juan Mata. The 33-year-old midfielder has been with the club since 2014, having recently signed an improved two-year contract in 2019 with an option to extend by one year. The aforementioned deal is set to expire towards the end of the ongoing season, which could free up £160k for Manchester United on a weekly basis.
Proving to be a revelation at Chelsea, Mata joined the Red Devils for €44.73m and instantly won over the fans' approval. However, the World Cup winner has been reduced to a mere squad member in recent years. A victim of his own versatility, Mata has been deployed at various attacking positions to facilitate the team's functioning.
As a result, the creative midfielder has seen his career stagnate on the bench. With no promised game time, Mata is set to endure another season on the sidelines, having made just nine Premier League appearances last season. Yet Manchester United continue to overpay him, without giving him a final call on his future.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo - £510,000 per week
Manchester United's least expensive but most significant signing this season, Cristiano Ronaldo's shock return to England made him the highest-paid player at Old Trafford. The Portuguese superstar had made his intention of leaving Juventus clear and was very close to joining Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
Jorge Mendes, the abiding agent of the Portugal international, concocted a generous agreement with Manchester United, which will see his client earn a massive £510k weekly salary. However, signing a 36-year-old player on such colossal wages for nostalgic reasons could put the English giants in deep trouble.
Even though the Portuguese talisman flaunts the physique of a man in his mid-20s, he is still nearing the end of his illustrious career. Manchester United have him on a two-year deal, meaning that Ronaldo will be 38 at the end of his contract.
During this period, United are liable to pay him a whopping £53 million in wages, not including all the performance-based variables that the two parties must've agreed upon.
Cristiano Ronaldo has exuded immense commitment to the game and is easily one of the best footballers to have ever laced a pair of boots. While signing him could definitely be a worthwhile investment for Manchester United, giving him such towering wages might end up being a short-sighted move on the club's part.
With the title of Premier League's highest-paid player on his head, Ronaldo will have to fire straight away to justify his monstrous salary.
Also read: 5 players who could still leave the Premier League
#3 Donny van de Beek - £120,000 per week
Bought by Manchester United in 2020 for a sizeable fee of €39 million, Donny van de Beek signed a five-year contract that will see him earn £120,000 per week. Even though such a wage for a decent 24-year-old is fairly common in a market as inflated as the current one, Van de Beek's case is certainly not the usual one.
The central midfielder boldly chose to abandon the comforts of Ajax last season in search of extended glory. He joined Manchester United at the age of 23, becoming one of the most high-profile signings last year.
However, things haven't panned out as Van de Beek would've wanted as he barely featured for the Red Devils in his debut campaign.
Since arriving at Old Trafford, the Ajax graduate has seen his market value fall from €44 million to €30 million at the time of writing. Having made a handful of substitute appearances in his maiden season, Van de Beek could only produce a woeful three goal contributions.
His arrival was supposed to ease up some pressure on star-man Bruno Fernandes. Instead, the innovative creator proved to be undroppable last season, while Manchester United ended up paying Van de Beek £6.2m to warm the bench.
#2 David De Gea - £375,000 per week
A bit of an oddball on such a list, David De Gea has seen his stock take a massive hit in recent years. At an age where goalkeepers are supposed to hit their peaks, the Spaniard has already started showing signs of a rapid decline. As a result, the three-time Manchester United Player of the Year awardee is currently valued at just €18 million.
Irrespective of his recent form, De Gea was the highest-paid player for United as well as in the Premier League, until quite recently. Signed in 2019, the four-year contract would bag De Gea a hefty weekly paycheck of £375,000 until 2023. With renegotiations out of the picture, the Spain international is still earning the said amount despite a monumental dip in form.
His inconsistent form caused him to be ousted from the national team, with Atheltic Bilbao's Unai Simon taking his place between the sticks for Spain. With Dean Henderson showing his class in every game that he has played, De Gea's tenure as United's undisputed number one could be over sooner rather than later. If his fortunes don't turnaround quickly, Manchester United will certainly feel they are overpaying De Gea.
#1 Anthony Martial - £250,000 per week
Earning a mind-boggling £250,000 per week, Anthony Martial is the clear choice for number one in such a list. The former Monaco striker has struggled to find his footing at Old Trafford, failing to settle into the first team six years on from his move. Purchased for an initial fee of €60m, Martial is yet to hit the ground running at Manchester United to justify his elephantine wages.
Coming off a 23-goal haul in the 2019-20 season, everyone thought that Martial had finally found his place in the United squad. However, the Frenchman followed that with an abysmal showing at the office, scoring a paltry seven goals in all competitions. Primarily a goal-getter, Martial could only muster four Premier League goals last term.
Such was the youngster's potential that Monaco were compelled to add a 'Ballon d'Or clause' to his Manchester United contract. This would've entitled his former team to an additional £7.2m, if Martial had won the prestigious award by 2019.
At the age of 25, it is safe to say that the Frenchman won't be eligible for the award in this lifetime. Nevertheless, he continues to pocket a million pounds every month from his employers.
Also read: Ranking 5 clubs with the best transfer window in La Liga
