Manchester United’s top earners – who could alternatively be viewed as ‘flops’ with the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo – are set to be hit hard by their failure to qualify for the Champions League this season as a significant wage cut is allegedly set to be implemented.
Players will reportedly have their weekly salaries reduced by up to 25 per cent next season after a shockingly disappointing campaign at Old Trafford, which was again clearly outlined in Man United’s humbling 4-0 decimation by Brighton, which in effect means they are mathematically unable to qualify for the Champions League next season. Needless to say the price for such failure is going to be felt by all players, even the well-oiled like Ronaldo.
The Portuguese superstar is obviously the highest earner at Old Trafford and across the Premier League, reportedly taking home around £510,000-a-week. However, according to The Daily Mail, the club included clauses in contracts whereby reductions of a quarter will be made to account for the drop in revenue in the budget for next season.
This would see Ronaldo’s wage drop to even £385,000-a-week if the clause has been included earlier in his contract. Which would represent another significant drop on his earnings as he had already taken a massive wage cut to expedite his return to Old Trafford. Other top earners at the club include David de Gea and Harry Maguire, who could also see their salaries fall dramatically.
With the Champions League out of the picture, United earnings in prize money entitlements and broadcast revenue will be significantly less even if they qualify for the much less prestigious Europa League. And this is further exacerbated if they finish in seventh, thus qualifying to play in the lowly Europa Conference League next season rather than the Europa League that is now ironically beginning to look increasingly appealing with the Champions League having disappeared from view.
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick’s players are now left with no choice but to pay the price for a devastatingly dismal second half of the season where United won just two out of their last eight Premier League matches – and this is despite several slip-ups from their top-four rivals Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham which could have given them an advantage in the race.
The season has turned out to be truly one that United would love to forget as the Premier League’s once most successful club. Being forced to exit from the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid confirmed their wait for a trophy would be extended to five years. Despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being finally given the sack in November, things still have yet to work out well according to plan under German tactician Rangnick, as reflected in the 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool last month.
Ronaldo would be justified to feel appreciably aggrieved that his wage packet is going to be decreased after bagging 24 goals in all competitions this season. His goal tally is more than the sum contribution of goals by Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford so far this season while the 37-year-old scored several crucial goals across the campaign.