Manchester United have been underwhelming for the majority of this campaign, as evidenced by their sixth-place position in the Premier League.
However, it won’t just be the performances on the field that will have concerned new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with the way the club has functioned behind the scenes serving as a huge problem.
From Casemiro earning £350k-per-week to Anthony Martial being paid £250k-per-week, the club has struggled to keep a lid on wages.
Unfortunately, this has been the case for years, with one player, in particular, rinsing the club of millions. while even earning more than Alejandro Garnacho currently does.
Alejandro Garnacho’s 23/24 campaign
At just 19 years of age, it can very much be argued that Garnacho has been Man United’s best player this season, showing bravery and courage to drag the team to victories.
The Argentine has been influential on both flanks, with his well-rounded ability allowing him to play on the right, despite preferring to be a left-winger.
This tactical tweak by Ten Hag seems to have worked brilliantly, as the number 17 has scored four goals and provided two assists in 13 games in his new role.
Alongside his talent, Garnacho’s continuous reliability and availability are remarkable, having not missed a game through injury all season.
Despite this, the United academy graduate is currently earning £50k-per-week or £2.6m per season, which is far less than one individual who struggled to impact the side on a frequent basis.
Man Utd star who earns more than Garnacho & Hojlund needs to be replaced
The United star has barely played over the last month.
ByTom Lever What Phil Jones cost Man United over his career
In 2011, Phil Jones joined Man United from Blackburn Rovers in a deal worth £16m after meeting his release clause, signing on a five-year contract.
Jones was known as a promising talent who could thrive in multiple roles, and that was on show during his first campaign, playing 29 Premier League matches as a right-back, defensive midfielder, and centre-half.
During his early career, Sir Alex Ferguson infamously stated that the number four had the potential to become Man United’s “best ever player,” which just highlights how highly-rated Jones once was.
However, it’s fair to say that injuries completely ruined the 32-year-old’s career, with Jones missing a total of 210 games through injury since 2013, which meant that he was only able to reach 20 league appearances in one season after 2015.
22/23
0
21/22
4
20/21
0
19/20
2
18/19
18
Despite suffering multiple setbacks, Jones was earning £50k-per-week, according to Capology, and in 2019, he was handed a new contract until 2023 that saw his wage increase to £75k-per-week, which is clearly £25k more than Garnacho's weekly wage.
After signing that new deal, Jones only made 13 Premier League appearances due to injury, in what was an extremely frustrating and difficult spell for the former England international.
Throughout his United career, Jones was unfortunately rather “unreliable,” as per football creator Liam Canning, but what’s frustrating is that Canning also mentioned that Jones was often “excellent” when available.
Nevertheless, over his 12-year stay at the club, which ended last summer upon the expiry of that contract, Jones most definitely rinsed the Red Devils due to his lack of minutes, costing the club a huge £48.5m when his original fee and wages are combined.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
