For years under Glazer’s rule, Manchester United were handing out extortionate contracts left, right and centre.
Bad decisions in the transfer market plagued the past decade of Glazer’s rule at Old Trafford and it is certainly something we are expecting to substantially improve with the Ineos structure.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has repeatedly outlined the desire to recruit smarter, but he and Jason Wilcox along with Omar Berrada have been left with the residual effects of the previous regime.
Manchester United’s weekly wage bill is an absolute fortune and unsurprisingly this has meant the club are pushing to expedite the departure of some of the ludicrously high earners.
But just how much could be saved with the reported players lined up as exits this month?
Manchester United trying to get £1.7m off the wage bill in January
January has been an unusually loud month in terms of transfer rumours despite little coming to fruition so far for Manchester United.
Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof are all tipped to depart if United can arrange sensible deals for the ageing trio.
Joining these three could be Joshua Zirkzee, who is wanted by Juventus. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford is wanted across Europe but most likely on loan.
Jonny Evans is wanted by Rangers to bolster defence, which is another move which clears unneeded wages.
Antony has been linked with Olympiacos, and finally, Tyrell Malacia has been suggested as a target for Juventus.
This would free up a substantial weekly wage total if all deals came off.
| Player | Wage per week |
|---|---|
| Antony | £200,000 |
| Casemiro | £350,000 |
| Christian Eriksen | £150,000 |
| Joshua Zirkzee | £105,000 |
| Jonny Evans | £65,000 |
| Marcus Rashford | £300,000 |
| Tyrell Malacia | £75,000 |
| Victor Lindelof | £120,000 |
| Total wages saved | £1,365,000 |
This would save United a weekly amount of around £1.365 million – a truly enormous amount which in all honesty the squad and Amorim could do without – with none seen as regular starters.
Doing this gives United the scope to make additions to the squad, but it also gives the academy a huge chance to step up and take the place of the expensive squad players.
- READ: Confirmed Manchester United transfer deals for January 2025, ins, outs, loan moves, deadline date
Ruben Amorim can source replacements in the academy
Much has been made of Ruben Amorim not using youth, but this squad he has is so bloated he can’t really without dropping a senior professional. Amorim has been to watch the academy in action and we are confident once there is space in the squad, he will turn to the academy, and to replace each of the aforementioned outgoings he has a ready-made option.
Antony: To replace Antony, we have to think that he has been used as a wing-back more often than not under Amorim and so Bendito Mantato could be perfect to replace the Brazilian.
Casemiro: With Casemiro, Amorim could call upon Toby Collyer to become a bonafide first-teamer and deputise both Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte.
Eriksen: Another midfielder would be needed if Eriksen departs, and Jayce Fitzgerald could be the man Amorim needs. The 17-year-old is very talented technically and can play across the midfield lines with comparisons to Sergio Busquets.
Zirkzee: If Amotim is looking for a striker in the academy, it seems likely that Chido Obi will be called upon. The Dane is tipped to make his United debut this season anyway, so it wouldn’t be too out of nowhere.
Evans: Replacing Evans is impossible from an experience point of view, however, if given a chance Godwill Kukonki could become an incredible defender for Amorim and he has also looked closest to breaking through.
Rashford: With Rashford, he had been used as both a striker and a No.10 – which makes his absence perfect to be filled by Gabriele Biancheri who is a striker by trade but also impressed on the left recently in the FA Youth Cup.
Malacia: Left wing-back, Malacia’s departing could open the door for Harry Amass to finally get his shot as the backup for whoever United bring in for the position this month.
Lindelof: Another central defender may also be required beyond Kukonki and in this case, Dan Armer would be our pick despite his age. Together he and Kukonki have the potential to be two-thirds of a future back three – along with Leny Yoro of course.
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