Manchester United will receive a waiver of their annual salary after they separate from some of the club’s high-income earners in this window.
According to data from Capology, United had an annual wage bill of just under £215m in 2021-22 but five players have already announced they will leave the club this summer. So who are these players who have been making huge salaries?
Pogba was on a £290,000-a-week contract during his second spell at the club. The player will leave this summer and has been linked with a return to Juventus.
In these years, the Frenchman earned £15.08m a year and United extended his contract by one year, bringing his total earnings at Old Trafford to £90.48m. He will also receive a loyalty bonus of £3.75m when his contract expires at the end of the month.
- Edinson Cavani – £13 million
The Uruguayan, who was injured at United, arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2020 on a free transfer. He signed an initial one-year contract at the club and became his fourth highest earner at £200,000 a week.
Cavani was reportedly keen to return to his native South America in 2021, but United raised his salary to £250,000-a-week to persuade him to stay at the club for another season. The Red Devils will likely regret that decision as a string of injuries limited Cavani to just two goals in 20 games in 2021-22.
Mata, who joined United from Chelsea in a £37.1m deal in January 2014, has publicly admitted that footballers are well paid.
The former Spain international received £140,000-a-week from United during 2021-22 but started just two Premier League games over the course of the season. Mata is said to be open to joining another Premier League team at the end of his contract with United, and has also been linked with a move to MLS.
- Nemanja Matic – £6,240,000
Matic met Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in 2017 and joined United in a £40m deal.
The midfielder, who earned £120,000 a week, was initially one of the first names on United’s squad but has become a part-time player in recent years. He drafted a two-year contract extension in the summer of 2020 and there was an option to extend it for another year. But Matic has chosen not to exercise that option and will leave this summer, saving £6.24m in wages.
- Jesse Lingard – £3,900,000
Lingard joined United at Under-9 level in 2001 and worked his way through the academy, making his debut under Louis van Gaal in August 2014.
After scoring in the 2016 FA Cup Final and the 2017 League Cup Final, he was rewarded with a new four-year contract in April 2017 and received a wage of £75,000 a week. United launched the option of a one-year extension on his deal before allowing him to join West Ham on a six-month loan deal in January 2021. He has been linked with a large part of clubs this summer as he is leaving as a gift.
Grant, who will retire from football at the end of the month, joined United from Stoke City in the summer of 2018 and became the third goalkeeper behind David de Gea and Sergio Romero.
He participated in only two first-team matches with the Red Devils, coming off the bench in the League Cup match against Derby before starting against Astana in the group stage of the European League. The 39-year-old earned £30,000 a week during his four years at Old Trafford, earning £3.12m per appearance.
