Manchester United players set for pay cut after failing to qualify for Champions League - Reports

Manchester United's players will have to suffer wage cuts due to the team's failure to qualify for next season's Champions League, according to reports.

The Athletic has claimed that many first-team stars have clauses in their contracts which would see their salary cut by 25% if the Red Devils do not reach Europe's premier club competition, although these reductions can be negotiated.

It has been a dismal season for Manchester United, who have won just three of their previous 12 games, and look all but certain to miss out on a place in the Premier League's top four. They lie five points behind fourth-placed Arsenal with just two games to go.

Wage reductions may be necessary at Old Trafford, with four of the Premier League's five highest paid players being from Manchester United, as per Spotrac.

Cristiano Ronaldo, David De Gea, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane all earn upwards of £17.5 million per year, while Paul Pogba is also in the division's top ten.

Pogba, along with other high earners Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani and Nemanja Matic are all out of contract this summer, which should ease the financial burden on the club.

Incoming manager Erik ten Hag has a huge job on his hands to rebuild the squad, with The Express reporting that the Dutchman agrees with interim boss Ralf Ragnick that United need up to ten new players this summer.

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Ragnick "not happy" with Manchester United interim spell

Following their final home game of the season against Brentford on Monday, May 2, Ragnick admitted he wasn't happy with his time in charge of the Red Devils.

The German will move into an advisory role for the club next season, while also taking charge of the Austrian national team.

The 63-year-old has won just 10 of his 22 English top-flight encounters since taking over in November, and told BBC Sport:

"In the end, I'm not happy with the results, especially in the past four or five weeks."

Ragnick added:

"I'm not completely happy with those six months. I would have expected to qualify for the Champions League; that was the goal we had.

"We lost quite a lot of important players. From the team that won against West Ham (on January 22), for the next game three players were injured. Other teams brought in players in the window.

"We had good moments, we conceded fewer goals but in the last few weeks performances have not been as good as they should have been. In general, we have lacked consistency."