Chelsea and Manchester United have both received fair criticism in recent seasons for underperforming in the Premier League.
Chelsea have also taken a lot of heat for what they have done off the pitch under owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
Amid all of the criticism, though, it appears that United believe their Premier League rivals are actually on to something.
Chelsea co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
Manchester United aiming to have similar wage structure to Chelsea
One thing Chelsea’s owners have done since taking over the club is bring down the wage bill.
Chelsea have stopped handing out £250,000-a-week contracts, and it looks like United want to follow suit.
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According to The Sun, sources informed about United’s negotiations ahead of the transfer window say United have adopted a very similar wage policy to Chelsea.
The Red Devils are now reluctant to go higher than £150,000 a week, which could make it difficult for them to sign the best players in the world.
It has not stopped Chelsea from signing some very good footballers such as Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo. However, they were young players whom the club have now developed into superstars.
It has been claimed that intermediaries are trying to gauge interest in Palmer, with United being one club who are said to be interested in the attacking midfielder.
Who are Chelsea’s highest-paid players and how much money are they earning?
With Raheem Sterling and Romelu Lukaku no longer on their books, Chelsea’s wage bill looks even healthier these days.
As per Capology, Reece James and Wesley Fofana are the two highest earners at Chelsea and are the only ones on a £200,000-a-week contract.
Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella and Pedro Neto complete the top five, with their deals ranging from £160,000 a week to £180,000 a week.
Boehly and Clearlake deserve a lot of criticism for how the club is being run right now, but one thing that they have certainly got right is the wage structure. It is no surprise that cost-cutting United now want to imitate them.
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