Manchester United Prepares to Strengthen Midfield with Financial Strategy
Manchester United plans to strengthen its midfield in the next summer transfer market, with a strategy focused on reducing the club’s wage bill. The goal is to save around 1 million pounds sterling weekly, to reinvest those funds in players who bring youth, energy, and long-term value to the team led by Ruben Amorim.
The termination of contracts for high-salaried players like Casemiro, Harry Maguire, and Jadon Sancho, coupled with the possible departure of Marcus Rashford, whose weekly salary is £325,000, has given United the opportunity to make significant savings on player wage costs. Sources close to the club have revealed that this financial boost will allow them to compete for the necessary signings to complete the next phase of the team’s reconstruction, under the direction of Jason Wilcox and coach Amorim.
United have already shown interest in Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, making tentative inquiries in August before the club set a valuation of £115 million for the 21-year-old Cameroonian international. In addition, there is ongoing interest in Crystal Palace’s 21-year-old English midfielder Adam Wharton and VfB Stuttgart’s 24-year-old player Angelo Stiller.
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Despite Casemiro’s importance, the club does not plan to bring in players to the midfield in January, preferring to wait until the summer to secure their main targets.
The club spent £225 million on new signings this summer, including Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, before finalizing the arrival of goalkeeper Senne Lammens on the last day of the market. Although the recruitment team recognized the need for reinforcements in midfield, United rejected Chelsea’s offer for Romeo Lavia as part of the deal that took Alejandro Garnacho to Stamford Bridge, due to concerns about the 21-year-old player’s injury history.
Although a series of departures in August helped to alleviate budget constraints, United’s financial situation did not allow for further moves in the transfer market. It is unlikely that January will offer the club the opportunity to make more signings.
While the United directive believes the club has begun to stabilize on and off the field, after a turbulent 18-month period, the lack of European competition this season has cost United at least £40 million in lost revenue. However, the efficiency driven by INEOS, combined with a 25% reduction in player salaries imposed by the Glazers, has reduced United’s wage bill to its lowest level since the 2017-18 season.The United’s wage bill for the 2024-25 season decreased to £313 million, compared to £364.7 million the previous year, and this season’s figure is also likely to decrease because new contracts are heavily incentivized and start with a lower base salary.
More savings are expected with Sancho, Rashford, Casemiro, and Maguire. Sancho’s salary of £300,000 per week will no longer be on the club’s books when his contract expires at the end of the season, ending the 25-year-old player’s bad spell at United. Since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 for £71 million, Sancho has only scored 12 goals and registered six assists in 81 appearances. He is currently on loan at Aston Villa and has undoubtedly been one of the worst, and most expensive, signings in United’s history.
Rashford still has two and a half years left on his contract at Old Trafford with a salary of £325,000 per week, but after the success of his loan spell at Barcelona and the option of the LaLiga champions to activate a permanent deal of £30 million at the end of the season, Rashford is expected to leave next summer.
Casemiro and Maguire’s contracts expire next June and both are high-earning players. Casemiro, former Real Madrid player, earns £350,000 per week, and Maguire, £200,000 per week. United is expected to negotiate new deals with both players, but only with significantly reduced and incentivized conditions. It remains to be seen whether an agreement can be reached that satisfies all parties.
Even if Casemiro and Maguire, both 32, choose to reduce their salaries to stay, United would still save around £1 million per week, and over £50 million per year, by parting ways with Sancho and Rashford and paying Casemiro and Maguire significantly lower salaries. This saving would allow United to comfortably pay the salaries of two new midfielders, and the club’s powerful revenue machine could generate funds for transfer fees. Moves for Baleba and Wharton could cost United a total of £180 million if they try to sign them again next summer, while Stiller is valued at around £50 million.
Regardless of what happens in future transfer markets, the days when United signed veteran stars for large sums of money and with high salaries, including Casemiro, Raphaël Varane, and Cristiano Ronaldo, are over. United is now playing the long game and, after identifying the need for smarter recruitment and sensible spending, the foundations for next summer’s transfer market are already being laid.
