Manchester United broke the bank last summer, but their highest-paid player remains an Erik ten Hag signing
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro will be leaving at the end of the season
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is the highest-paid player at the club(Image: Copa/Getty Images)
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Casemiro remains Manchester United's highest earner despite missing out on a huge wage increase. The Brazilian midfielder was signed in the summer of 2022 from Real Madrid during Erik ten Hag's reign for a whopping initial fee of £60million, rising to £70m in add-ons.
The veteran was handed a £350,000-per-week deal at Old Trafford that made him the club's second highest earner at the time, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, who left at the end of 2022. Since then, Casemiro has held that position, with only club captain Bruno Fernandes earning close to his wages with £300,000 per week, according to Spotrac.
That goes some way to explaining why United have decided to let Casemiro go at the end of this season, with his lucrative contract finally expiring this summer. Freeing up wages that the 33-year-old would have otherwise received will allow United to attract a marquee signing in the summer transfer window.
Remarkably, Casemiro could have been on even more money had United won the Europa League last season. A clause in his contract reportedly meant his salary would shoot up to £500,000-a-week if they had beaten Tottenham, presenting the club hierarchy with a silver lining.
Fernandes, despite comfortably being United’s best player since joining the club, could also depart in the summer amid interest from Saudi Arabia. Yet, he’s already surpassed 15 goal involvements in the league alone this season, demonstrating his importance.
Man United have been urged to keep Bruno Fernandes.
Club captain Bruno Fernandes receives the second-highest salary(Image: Getty Images)
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Third on the list is central defender Matthijs de Ligt, who signed a £195,000-a-week deal until June 2029 after joining from Bayern Munich in 2024. The Dutchman has yet to fully justify his mammoth salary, though injuries and managerial instability have played a role.
Harry Maguire, at one point ridiculed for his record £80m signing, has turned a corner in recent seasons and become a fan-favourite at Old Trafford, though he still rakes in a hefty £190,000-per-week for his services. He turns 33 in March and is out of contract at the end of this season.
Rounding off the top five is summer signing Matheus Cunha on £180,000-per-week. The 26-year-old Brazilian is now finding his feet at United after a slow start to the season.
New Manchester United signings Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko & Matheus Cunha
Manchester United signings Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha are all in the top 10(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images))
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Just missing out is fellow summer arrival Benjamin Sesko, who is on £160,000-per-week. The remainder of the top 10 is made up of Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui.
Astonishingly, academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo is on a comparably meagre £25,000-per-week while the in-form Patrick Dorgu receives £40,000-per-week.
Manchester United's top earners
1. Casemiro - £350,000 per week (£18.2m annually)
2. Bruno Fernandes - £300,000 per week (£15.6m annually)
3. Matthijs de Ligt - £195,000 per week (£10.1m annually)
4. Harry Maguire - £190,000 per week (£9.9m annually)
5. Matheus Cunha - £180,000 per week (£9.4m annually)