Man Utd’s staggering expenditure on unwanted players speaks volumes | Football | Sport

In recent years, it has been a story of heavy investment with limited success for Manchester United. The scale of squandered resources becomes starkly apparent when examining the club’s salary expenditure on top of the transfer outlay in the years since their last runner-up finish in the Premier League. From the summer of 2021 onwards, the Red Devils have put approximately £950million towards new signings while recovering less than a third of that through sales. For the bigger picture, though, wages also need to be taken into account.

United are set to reduce their wage obligations this summer when Casemiro departs following his contract expiration. The Brazilian is the highest earner on United’s books but further savings could yet materialise. Most notably, Barcelona could take another highly paid player off the United wage bill if they exercise their option to sign Marcus Rashford for £26.2m at the end of his loan. He might have been unfavoured when United sent him to Catalunya but this is no longer definitely the case, with suggestions Michael Carrick may prove less eager than Ruben Amorim to sanction the English striker’s departure if things end up back in his hands.

Data from Spotrac indicates Casemiro and Rashford bring in £33.8m annuallybetween them, though Barcelona are responsible for the Englishman’s full salary this season. Elsewhere, United are counting the cost of agreeing to pay millions more to others who, by widespread consensus, appear surplus to requirements at the club.

United committed to paying Jadon Sancho and Andre Onana substantial six-figure weekly wages, yet both appear decidedly surplus to requirements whilst spending time away on loan. Sancho looks almost certain to seek fresh pastures in the summer when his deal concludes, whilst the future of Onana – currently on loan at Trabzonspor – hangs in the balance

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Rasmus Hojlund, reportedly earning £85,000 weekly, was likewise sent out on loan. The Danish striker could well finalise a permanent transfer to Napoli come summer after United made clear their preference for Benjamin Sesko to spearhead their attack, though the Premier League club will make a loss on the sum they paid to Atalanta in 2023.

Tyrell Malacia proved the sole member of the notorious ‘bomb squad’ unable to secure a departure in the summer, though he’s scarcely featured this campaign, keeping millions on United’s bill. Joshua Zirkzee may retain a future at the club should he accept a reduced role, having barely featured this season, and any sale would be more about being free of his wages than recouping the money spent on the Dutchman.

United aren’t covering the complete salaries of Sancho, Onana and Hojlund this term, with the club liable for different sums depending upon their individual loan arrangements. Nevertheless, those three – alongside Zirkzee and Malacia – represent just over £30m annually in wages alone.

Then there are the transfer fees, totalling a combined figure of approximately £230m. Only a small portion of that amount appears likely to be recovered by the club, the bulk of it through Napoli’s £43m option on Hojlund.

This summer will undoubtedly be a crucial period for United and their supporters, irrespective of who is at the helm. However, they are all too aware of the potential fallout from bad transfer decisions.

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