According to ESPN reports, Manchester United plans to reorganize the midfield lineup in next summer's transfer window. This move will save the club about 1 million pounds per week in wage expenses and reinvest these funds in young players who ca...
According to ESPN reports, Manchester United plans to reorganize the midfield lineup in next summer's transfer window. This move will save the club about 1 million pounds per week in wage expenses and reinvest these funds in young players who can add vitality and long-term value to Amorim's team.
The contracts of high-paid players such as Casemiro, Maguire and Sancho are about to expire, and the confidence that Rashford will permanently transfer to Barcelona or other teams with a weekly salary of 325,000 pounds gives Manchester United the opportunity to significantly reduce player costs. According to ESPN, such a financial boost will enable the club to complete the next phase of team reconstruction under the leadership of director of football Wilcox and coach Amorim.
Manchester United has expressed interest in Brighton midfielder Baleba. Although Brighton has a price tag of 115 million pounds, Manchester United still pays attention to him. In addition, Crystal Palace's England midfielder Walton and Stuttgart's Stiller have also entered Manchester United's sights. However, despite United's heavy reliance on Casemiro, sources claim the club have no plans to add to the midfielder in January, instead deciding to wait until the summer to pursue their first choice target.
This summer, Manchester United spent 225 million pounds to introduce new players, including Cunha, Mbemo and Sheshko, as well as the last-minute signing of Ramens. Although the recruitment team recognized the need for reinforcements in the midfield, due to concerns about the fitness of 21-year-old Livaya, Manchester United rejected Chelsea's proposal to include him as part of the transfer of Ganacho, who eventually joined Stamford Bridge for 40 million pounds.
Although a series of departures in August eased budget pressure, Manchester United's financial situation did not allow it to make further moves in the transfer market. Furthermore, new signings are unlikely to come in January. Manchester United bosses believe the club is beginning to stabilize both on and off the pitch after a tumultuous 18 months. During this time, Sir Ratcliffe's Ineos Group took over football operations from the Glazer family and implemented a cost-cutting program that resulted in the loss of more than 400 jobs at Old Trafford.
With no European competitions this season, Manchester United has lost at least 40 million pounds in revenue. But thanks to the efficient operation of Ineos, coupled with the 25% salary cut imposed by the Glazer family when they failed to participate in the Champions League, Manchester United's total wages fell to the lowest level since the 2017/18 season, when the total salary was 295.9 million pounds.
Manchester United's total wage bill for the 2024/25 season has dropped to £313 million from £364.7 million the previous year, and this season's figure may also fall due to the incentives of the new contract and a lower basic salary. Manchester United will also make further savings as the contracts of Sancho, Rashford, Casemiro and Maguire expire. Sancho currently earns £300,000 a week and his contract will expire at the end of the season, which will end his nightmare time at Manchester United.
Since joining from Dortmund for 71 million pounds in 2021, Sancho has only scored 12 goals and contributed 6 assists in 81 games. He is now on loan at Aston Villa, having also previously gone on loan to Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, and is undoubtedly one of the worst and most expensive signings in United's history. Rashford has two and a half years left on his contract with Manchester United, with a weekly salary of £325,000. The 28-year-old has performed well during his loan spell at Barcelona and the La Liga champions can buy him out for £30m at the end of the season, with Rashford expected to leave Manchester United next summer.
The contracts of Casemiro and Maguire will expire in June next year. Both are high-paid players. Casemiro's weekly salary is 350,000 pounds, and Maguire's is 200,000 pounds. ESPN reported that Manchester United is willing to negotiate new contracts with the two, but the condition is to significantly reduce the salary and increase incentive clauses. It is unclear whether the two parties can reach an agreement.
Even if Casemiro and Maguire choose to accept a significant salary cut to stay on the team, Manchester United can still save about 1 million pounds per week and more than 50 million pounds per year by sending away Sancho and Rashford and paying Casemiro and Maguire a lower salary.
Such savings would allow United to easily afford the wages of two new midfielders and tap into a strong revenue stream to fund transfer fees. If Manchester United pursues Baleba and Walton again next summer, it may cost a total of 180 million pounds, while Germany international Stiller is worth about 50 million pounds.
No matter what happens in the future transfer window, the era of Manchester United signing high-paid veterans is over. United are now playing the long game, having settled on a smarter recruitment strategy and sensible spending, laying the groundwork for next summer's transfer window.
