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It has been a thrilling season at Manchester United. Having finished second in the Premier League last season, United fans would have hoped to go one better this time around and challenge Manchester City for the title, but things didn’t quite work out like that.
United started the season with Jose Mourinho in charge, but with a glum mood in the camp after a disappointing transfer window. Fred and Diego Dalot were the only major signings at Old Trafford, and Mourinho was disappointed with the board’s failure to sign a centre back, with Harry Maguire his number one target.
The self-proclaimed Special One cut a frustrated figure in the opening months of the season. Under him, United played what many saw as a negative style of football, with a string of poor results seeing them drop out of the title race before December.
Mourinho was sacked shortly before Christmas and was replaced by United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who signed a contract until the end of the season. In his few months in charge, the former Norway striker has made huge changes at the club.
He has bought United back into the race for the top four, and taken them to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, after a dramatic win away at PSG.
Attention will soon be turning to the summer, when Solskjaer, who has now been confirmed as United's permanent manager will want to improve the squad. To do so he may wish to free up some funds by getting rid of some of the current squad.
United are among the biggest spenders in English football, along with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea. Here are the five highest paid players at Old Trafford.
#5 Romelu Lukaku- £200,000-a-week
One of the real success stories of Solskjaer’s reign so far has been the impressive form of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. He had a good debut season at United after making the £75 million move from Everton in 2017 but had a tough time of it under Jose Mourinho in the opening few months of this season. He was regularly criticised for his fitness and looked short of confidence.
He has returned to top form in the last few weeks though, scoring twice in games against Crystal Palace, Southampton, and PSG. He will hope to continue this form in the coming weeks, as United look to secure a spot in the top four. As with all strikers, he demands a hefty fee, and that is one of the reasons he is among the highest paid players in the United squad.
#4 David de Gea- £200,000-a-week
Given his importance to United over the last few years, it is almost a surprise that David de Gea isn’t right up there with the top two or three highest-paid players. The Spaniard has been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League over the past four seasons, and many now consider him as the best goalkeeper in the world.
He is now Spain’s number one, and this has led to rumours of a potential switch to Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane is now back in charge at the Bernabeu, and his first team selection suggested that he favours Keylor Navas to Thibaut Courtois. However, de Gea is known to be a long term target for Real, and there is a chance that he makes the move to Spain this summer. United may wish to increase his wages to keep him in Manchester.
#3 Anthony Martial- £250,000-a-week
If Jose Mourinho had got his way, there is a chance that Anthony Martial would not have been at United any longer. Mourinho fell out with the French winger over the summer, which included criticism of Martial for returning home midway through pre-season for the birth of his child. However, with Mourinho gone, Martial has become a crucial player at United under Solskjaer.
The 23-year-old was a relatively unknown quantity when he made the big money move to Old Trafford in 2015. He has been back at this best under Solskjaer and could be on course for his highest goalscoring season in the Premier League, having already netted nine goals since the start of the campaign.
It's very likely that United may increase Martial's wages in an attempt to keep him at Old Trafford and make sure he's more motivated than ever.
#2 Paul Pogba- £290,000-a-week
Paul Pogba is a constant figure of discussion in this United side. He became the world’s most expensive player when he returned to Old Trafford in 2016 when he cost the Red Devils £90 million from Juventus. But things haven’t quite worked out as he planned, and he has rarely recreated the sort of form that earned him the move.
There was clear animosity between him and Mourinho, and at times, it even led to Mourinho leaving Pogba out of this side. He has become a central figure since the Portuguese manager was sacked though, and we are now seeing more of the player that United thought they were buying. He is another man who has been linked with Real Madrid though, and his recent comments suggest that he may be prepared to move to Spain.
However, with the motivation and drive that he's been showing on the pitch recently, there's a high chance of him staying.
#1 Alexis Sanchez- £350,000
Given the furor when United bought Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford in January 2018, it isn’t really a surprise that he is comfortably the highest paid player at the club. However, he has been a massive disappointment in his year at the club. There were high hopes for the Chilean when he completed his switch, as United beat off interest from rivals Manchester City to bring Sanchez to the club.
He has been nowhere near the player that we saw at Arsenal, and he has scored just three goals in his 29 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils. He looks like a shadow of the player we saw when he first moved to the Premier League, and he is currently a long way from Solskjaer’s first choice XI. In fact, his wages may prove an issue if United wish to move him on this summer.
