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#3 Donny van de Beek - £120,000 per week
Bought by Manchester United in 2020 for a sizeable fee of €39 million, Donny van de Beek signed a five-year contract that will see him earn £120,000 per week. Even though such a wage for a decent 24-year-old is fairly common in a market as inflated as the current one, Van de Beek's case is certainly not the usual one.
The central midfielder boldly chose to abandon the comforts of Ajax last season in search of extended glory. He joined Manchester United at the age of 23, becoming one of the most high-profile signings last year.
However, things haven't panned out as Van de Beek would've wanted as he barely featured for the Red Devils in his debut campaign.
Since arriving at Old Trafford, the Ajax graduate has seen his market value fall from €44 million to €30 million at the time of writing. Having made a handful of substitute appearances in his maiden season, Van de Beek could only produce a woeful three goal contributions.
His arrival was supposed to ease up some pressure on star-man Bruno Fernandes. Instead, the innovative creator proved to be undroppable last season, while Manchester United ended up paying Van de Beek £6.2m to warm the bench.
#2 David De Gea - £375,000 per week
A bit of an oddball on such a list, David De Gea has seen his stock take a massive hit in recent years. At an age where goalkeepers are supposed to hit their peaks, the Spaniard has already started showing signs of a rapid decline. As a result, the three-time Manchester United Player of the Year awardee is currently valued at just €18 million.
Irrespective of his recent form, De Gea was the highest-paid player for United as well as in the Premier League, until quite recently. Signed in 2019, the four-year contract would bag De Gea a hefty weekly paycheck of £375,000 until 2023. With renegotiations out of the picture, the Spain international is still earning the said amount despite a monumental dip in form.
His inconsistent form caused him to be ousted from the national team, with Atheltic Bilbao's Unai Simon taking his place between the sticks for Spain. With Dean Henderson showing his class in every game that he has played, De Gea's tenure as United's undisputed number one could be over sooner rather than later. If his fortunes don't turnaround quickly, Manchester United will certainly feel they are overpaying De Gea.
#1 Anthony Martial - £250,000 per week
Earning a mind-boggling £250,000 per week, Anthony Martial is the clear choice for number one in such a list. The former Monaco striker has struggled to find his footing at Old Trafford, failing to settle into the first team six years on from his move. Purchased for an initial fee of €60m, Martial is yet to hit the ground running at Manchester United to justify his elephantine wages.
Coming off a 23-goal haul in the 2019-20 season, everyone thought that Martial had finally found his place in the United squad. However, the Frenchman followed that with an abysmal showing at the office, scoring a paltry seven goals in all competitions. Primarily a goal-getter, Martial could only muster four Premier League goals last term.
Such was the youngster's potential that Monaco were compelled to add a 'Ballon d'Or clause' to his Manchester United contract. This would've entitled his former team to an additional £7.2m, if Martial had won the prestigious award by 2019.
At the age of 25, it is safe to say that the Frenchman won't be eligible for the award in this lifetime. Nevertheless, he continues to pocket a million pounds every month from his employers.
Also read: Ranking 5 clubs with the best transfer window in La Liga
