United set to smash wage bill record
MANCHESTER United’s wage bill is expected to leap by a fifth this season and could eclipse the British record at around £387million.
cross-town rivals Manchester city reported record salaries of £351m in their latest set of figures, accounting for the 2019-20 season and published earlier this year.
United’s chief financial officer cliff Baty forecast yesterday that the club’s wages for last season, which were below city’s and increased to £322m by virtue of champions League qualification, will go up by ‘around 20 per cent’ this time round.
that is owing to the major summer recruitment drive that saw cristiano ronaldo return to Old trafford alongside the signings of raphael Varane and Jadon sancho. ronaldo (below) is believed to have become the highest-paid player in Premier League history when arriving from Juventus for almost £20m.
city, United and Liverpool make up the top three spenders on salaries in england. Whether United break the record set by city will become clear next year when the 2020-21 accounts of the Premier League champions are revealed.
United recorded an operating loss of £36.9m last season, put down to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. But Ole Gunnar solskjaer was still backed in the transfer market as they fight for silverware.
executive vice-chairman ed Woodward said: ‘We have been clear in our strategy to build a squad with a blend of top-class recruits and home-grown talent, a balance of youth and experience, with the aim of winning trophies and playing attacking football the Manchester United way.
‘as part of this, we have continued to strengthen our recruitment and scouting processes, and we have also increased our investment in the academy, to ensure that this success is sustainable.
‘While squadbuilding is a constant process, we are more confident than ever that we are on the right track.’
Despite the losses, Woodward believes United’s strong commercial arm has allowed them to move forward in the transfer market.
‘It is not an accident that we have been able to invest at a time when many clubs have been retrenching,’ he said. ‘this reflects the strong commercial model we have built over many years.
‘however, it remains clear that football as a whole faces major financial challenges caused by years of inflation in wages and transfer fees, exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic.’
Meanwhile, Mino raiola suggested Paul Pogba could be tempted to swap United for Juventus next summer. United are hopeful of agreeing a new contract with the 28-year-old, but raiola raised the prospect of a return to turin on a free transfer. ‘Paul Pogba is out of contract in June, so we’ll talk with Manchester United and we’ll see what happens,’ the agent told Corriere dello Sport. ‘Paul still loves turin. there’s a chance that he will return to Juventus — but it also depends on Juventus’s plans.’ Jesse Lingard will receive a warm welcome at the London stadium tomorrow after his successful loan spell with the West ham last season. hammers boss David Moyes, who was interested in extending Lingard’s stay in east London, said: ‘he made a massive contribution, on and off the pitch. We really enjoyed having him.’