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Despite failing to match the trophy haul of their 1990s and 2000s heyday, Manchester United remain one of the world’s biggest clubs. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the Red Devils have the finances to match.
Those finances translate into some truly massive paydays for their top stars. Big-name players like David De Gea, Paul Pogba, and Harry Maguire are amongst the highest-paid in the world, let alone the Premier League.
Without any further ado, let’s take a look at the wages of the 20 highest paid Manchester United players.
Note: all figures taken from Spotrac.com. Where data was unavailable, alternative sources have been linked.
#20 Daniel James (Winger) - £35,000 per week
A summer signing from Swansea City, winger Daniel James has made 41 appearances for United this season, scoring four goals. Despite his form tailing off in recent games, the Welshman is on a solid contract at Old Trafford.
Reports suggest that the 22-year-old’s current deal gives him around £35k per week. That’s a wage that could well rise should his form pick up again in the near future.
#19 Chris Smalling (Defender) - £70,000 per week
Central defender Chris Smalling is one of the few veterans of the Sir Alex Ferguson regime at United. He was signed way back in 2010 from Fulham and has made over 300 appearances for the club. After falling out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however, he’s spent the 2019-20 campaign on loan at Roma.
During his spell in Italy, Smalling has impressed. He’s made 25 Serie A appearances, chipping in with two goals. Whether or not that’ll be enough to resurrect his United career is debatable. If another side wants to take him on though, they may have to match his hefty £70k per week contract.
#18 Sergio Romero (Goalkeeper) - £70,000 per week
United’s deputy goalkeeper, Sergio Romero has spent the last five seasons at Old Trafford. Despite being a veteran of two World Cups with Argentina, though, his chances at United have largely been restricted.
Romero has made just 59 appearances for the Red Devils. Most of these have come in various cup competitions, and he only has seven Premier League appearances to his name. But the reliable veteran is well-paid for his craft, bringing in a reported £70k per week. That’s not bad at all for a keeper well used to warming the bench by now!
#17 Bruno Fernandes (Midfielder) - £70,000 per week
Despite only being at Old Trafford for a matter of months, Bruno Fernandes has already had a major impact on United’s fortunes. Since he’s arrived, he’s scored seven goals and registered six assists. And the Red Devils have not lost a single game, climbing up to 5th in the Premier League table.
That’s why it’s such a shock that according to reports, the Portuguese midfielder is only on a £70k per week contract before bonuses. Quite why he agreed to such a comparatively low basic wage is unknown. Should his form continue, of course, he’ll likely be in for a bumper wage rise when he signs his next deal at the club.
#16 Jesse Lingard (Midfielder) - £75,000 per week
A homegrown talent, Jesse Lingard has spent his entire career at Old Trafford. Initially breaking into the United first-team in the 2015-16 season, the England international has since made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils.
Lingard’s most recent deal with United came in the summer of 2017. The deal sees him paid a reported £75k per week. But after scoring 13 goals in the season that followed, his form has dropped off somewhat, and he now hasn’t scored a Premier League goal in over a year. There’s a very fair argument that he’s now surplus to requirements at the club.
With no news on a new deal, and his current one expiring in 2022, could his time at Old Trafford be coming towards its end?
#15 Phil Jones (Defender) - £75,000 per week
Another long servant of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at United, Phil Jones is now in his ninth season at the club. But despite signing a new deal in early 2019 worth £75k per week, the England international has never quite reached the heights that were predicted for him.
This season has seen Jones make just eight appearances in all competitions, as a combination of injuries and poor form have restricted his chances. With Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof now United’s first-choice defensive partnership, Jones will need to get back to his best to force his way into their first XI.
#14 Marcos Rojo (Defender) - £80,000 per week
The fact that defender Marcos Rojo remains United’s 14th highest earner must be galling to the club’s power-brokers. The Argentine international has only made a handful of appearances since signing a new deal in March 2018 and is currently on loan at Estudiantes.
Rojo clearly has ability, but he simply hasn’t shown it on enough occasions during his time at Old Trafford. With his £80k per week deal set to expire in the summer of 2021, it seems highly likely that he’ll be allowed to leave the club then.
#13 Eric Bailly (Defender) - £80,000 per week
Arriving at United in the summer of 2016 for a fee of £30m, it seemed likely that Eric Bailly would become a first-team fixture for years to come. However, a series of injuries have largely curtailed his time at Old Trafford. In his four seasons at the club, he’s made just 82 appearances.
It does appear that United have faith in the Ivorian international, though. He was handed a new deal worth a reported £80k per week in January 2020 and is clearly part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans. In the immediate future, he’ll need to put pressure on United’s first-choice defensive duo of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
#12 Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Right-Back) - £90,000 per week
Eyebrows were raised in the summer of 2019 when United paid close to £50m for young right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. A year on though, and it’s hard to claim that the England U21 international hasn’t been worth it.
Wan-Bissaka has been in fantastic form throughout the 2019-20 campaign for United. The 22-year old has appeared in 30 of the Red Devils’ 33 Premier League games. And while his defensive abilities have remained excellent, he’s also improved wildly on his attacking stats. At the time of writing, he has four assists to his name.
Right now the former Crystal Palace man is on a contract worth a reported £90k per week. Given his current form, that could be expected to rise substantially in the future.
#11 Nemanja Matic (Midfielder) - £120,000 per week
It’s been reported this week that midfielder Nemanja Matic has signed a new deal with United to keep him at the club until 2023. There’s been no word on his wages as of yet, but his previous deal was reportedly for £120k per week, so it’s safe to assume his new contract will pay similar.
It’s a surprising u-turn for Matic, who was supposedly close to leaving the club as recently as January 2020. But injuries to the likes of Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba have brought the Serbian international back to the forefront. He now appears to be a key man for the Red Devils again, and his form in their recent matches with Bournemouth and Brighton has been highly impressive.
#10 Victor Lindelof (Defender) - £120,000 per week
As one half of United’s current first-choice central defensive partnership, Victor Lindelof is an important player at Old Trafford. The Swedish international joined the Red Devils back in the summer of 2018 for somewhere around £35m.
In the years that have followed, he’s shrugged off some early criticism to become one of United’s most consistent performers. The current campaign has seen him appear in 30 of the club’s 33 Premier League games thus far. And his most recent contract – signed in September 2019 – runs until 2024 and pays him a hefty £120k per week.
#9 Fred (Midfielder) - £120,000 per week
The summer of 2018 saw United beat a number of competitors to the signature of Brazilian midfielder Fred. Unfortunately, his early days at the club appeared to suggest that the Red Devils had wasted their money. The midfielder struggled for form and only made 17 Premier League appearances in the 2018-19 season.
The current campaign has largely seen Fred turn things around, though. He’s shown flashes of greatness for United, displaying an excellent range of passing as well as plenty of commitment when it comes to the tackle.
While he may no longer be a first-team regular thanks to the midfield partnership of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba coupled with the resurgence of Nemanja Matic, he’ll likely be an important squad member for years to come.
#8 Luke Shaw (Left-Back) - £150,000 per week
It’s taken a long time, but Luke Shaw appears to finally be showing the form that was always expected of him at United. The Red Devils parted with £30m to sign him in the summer of 2014, making him the most expensive teenager in world football.
In the years that followed though, injuries and fitness concerns largely held him back. After making just a handful of appearances under Jose Mourinho in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, it appeared that his time at Old Trafford would be coming to an end.
But under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Shaw has turned things around. His overall game has improved dramatically, and he was voted as United’s Player of the Season in 2018-19. He’s carried that form into the current season, and while his current contract seems hefty, he’s definitely one of the side’s most important players these days.
#7 Juan Mata (Midfielder) - £160,000 per week
Recognised as one of the nicest men in the game, Juan Mata is also one of United’s most highly paid. The Spaniard makes a reported £160k per week, but despite inking a new deal in the summer of 2019, is he now surplus to requirements?
Current reports suggest that he could be eying a move to Turkish club Fenerbahce in the summer. Given his place as United’s main creative hub has now been taken by Bruno Fernandes, that could well make sense for the 32-year-old.
Overall, while Mata has never quite reached the form he showed at Chelsea during his time with United, he’s been a solid performer for a number of seasons. At £37m, he’s probably just about justified his transfer fee.
#6 Harry Maguire (Defender) - £189,904 per week
United famously parted with £80m to bring defender Harry Maguire to Old Trafford from Leicester City last summer. The fee was a world-record for a defender and while the England international has had a couple of dodgy moments, for the most part he’s fulfilled his end of the bargain.
The Red Devils have certainly looked like a stronger defensive unit since the England international’s arrival. And Maguire’s leadership skills have been a huge benefit too, as he’s been named United’s captain despite being at the club for less than a year.
Maguire is the club’s highest-paid defender on a contract worth just under £190k per week. But if he can help them back into Champions League contention, he’ll definitely be considered a major success.
#5 Marcus Rashford (Forward) - £200,000 per week
The most successful academy graduate to emerge at United in years, Marcus Rashford has made a huge impact since bursting onto the scene in 2016. At just 22 years old he’s recognised as one of the Premier League’s most deadly forwards and his 20-goal haul thus far this season is his best return to date.
Rashford’s most recent contract was signed in the summer of 2019 and pays him a hefty 200k per week. But as arguably United’s most important player right now, it’d be hard to claim he’s not worth the money.
Most recently, the England international has been in the news for other reasons. His successful political campaign to provide free school meals for underprivileged children has made him arguably the country’s most popular footballer.
#4 Anthony Martial (Forward) - £250,000 per week
Given he’s been at United since the summer of 2015, it’s hard to believe that Anthony Martial is still just 24 years old. The French forward has been used as the Red Devils’ central striker this season. And while some question marks still hang over his ability in the role, his return of 20 goals in 39 games is impressive.
Martial’s most recent contract – worth a reported £250k per week – was signed in January 2019 and runs until the summer of 2024. With his form now beginning to match the potential he showed when he first arrived at Old Trafford, it looks like he could be a key player for United for many years to come.
#3 Paul Pogba (Midfielder) - £290,000 per week
Back in the summer of 2016, United broke the world record transfer fee to bring Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford. The Red Devils paid Juventus £89m for the French midfielder’s services and whether he’s been worth it is still a point for debate.
Pogba has certainly showed flashes of his tremendous ability. He’s put in some great performances over his four seasons, and in 2018-19 he finished as United’s top scorer with 16 goals. But there have been constant rumours swirling around about his future, with a possible move to Real Madrid being discussed on numerous occasions.
However, Pogba’s recent return to action has seen him link up with Bruno Fernandes and produce some of his best football for United yet. His showing in United’s recent 1-1 draw with Spurs was fantastic.
But with his current £290k-per-week contract set to expire in the summer of 2021, more speculation around his future is likely in the upcoming months.
#2 Alexis Sanchez (Forward) - £350,000 per week
Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez is undoubtedly the forgotten man at United. The former Arsenal man is spending the current campaign on loan at Inter Milan, but his form in Italy has been as patchy as it was at Old Trafford.
Given his lack of impact since his arrival at United in January 2018, it’d make sense for the club to attempt to move him on. The issue with that may well prove to be his contract. Sanchez is reportedly paid around £350k per week – an amount that rival clubs would be unlikely to wish to match. And his deal runs until the summer of 2022.
Unless the Chilean is willing to cut his wage demands in order to make a potential move, he could end up back at Old Trafford for the 2020-21 season. If that’s the case, an unlikely return to form would be one of the most stunning turnarounds in football history.
#1 David De Gea (Goalkeeper) - £375,000 per week
The highest-paid player at United right now is goalkeeper David De Gea. The Spain international inked a bumper four-year extension with the club in September 2019 and is now reportedly paid somewhere around £375k per week.
De Gea’s huge wage rise probably had a lot to do with the interest from United’s European rivals, teams such as Real Madrid and Paris St. Germain. The Spaniard has been at Old Trafford since 2011 and after a dodgy start, he’s been able to establish himself as one of the world’s best goalkeepers.
However, a series of gaffes in his most recent campaigns have thrust question marks over his future as United’s #1. With academy product Dean Henderson enjoying a fantastic season at Sheffield United, there may be calls to establish him as the Red Devils’ first-choice keeper in 2020-21.
If that happens, De Gea could quickly become one of the world’s highest-paid reserves instead.
