Wad a waste!
RATCLIFFE WILL STICK TO BONUSES NOT BIG DEALS
SIR JIM RATCLIFFE will get tough with Manchester United’s highest earners by introducing a bonus-led pay structure.
Ratcliffe made it his mission to bring United’s spiralling wage bill under control when he was given access to the club’s books during talks over his £1.3billion buy-in. And he has persuaded Manchester City executive Omar Berrada to move to Old Trafford as United’s new CEO with a brief to bring in the same kind of bonus-heavy blueprint that has proved so effective at The Etihad. City became the first Premier League club to post a wage bill in excess of £400million in November when they revealed their annual accounts. United’s latest figures showed their wage bill to be just over £330m.
But Pep Guardiola’s squad triggered a huge package of bonus payments by winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
City’s players earned £300m in prize money alone for landing the Treble.
And they are also guaranteed another £50m payday after
by SIMON MULLOCK
qualifying for the expanded Club World Cup in 2025.
United have forked out massive sums on failed signings in recent years.
They gave Cristiano Ronaldo a bank-busting £515,000-a-week to keep him away from their Manchester rivals – after also handing huge salaries to Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez to do the same.
Berrada proved himself to be a very skilled negotiator during his time at City.
And he famously walked away from deals for Harry Maguire and Declan
Rice when bidding became too rich.
With Ratcliffe’s INEOS group having taken control of United’s football operation, they want more bang for their buck.
The Red Devils now want to fast-track an agreement with Newcastle to appoint Dan Ashworth as sporting director.
They have also earmarked ex-Manchester City academy boss Jason Wilcox for a role at the club following his spell as
Southampton’s director of football.
Ratcliffe (inset, top) and his team have also approached former Liverpool director of football Julian Ward about joining Ashworth’s recruitment set-up.
Berrada (inset, bottom) will be tasked with keeping basic salaries below a £300,000-aweek ceiling, although INEOS understand there may be circumstances that require more flexibility.
It could also take years to implement, given they are obliged to meet the terms of current player contracts. United’s failed £1bn gamble in the transfer market over the last decade has seen the club fall foul of financial regulations when coupled with hugely inflated contracts. They were fined £257,000 by UEFA last summer and were even unable to bolster Erik ten Hag’s squad with a loan signing last month because of worries they would break the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.