Nine Man Utd players who currently earn more than Erik ten Hag, including star he’s banished

Manchester United have the highest wage bill in the Premier League and it’s been revealed that nine players currently earn more than Erik ten Hag.

The Dutch boss is under the spotlight right now and following an inconsistent run of results, his long-term future at the club is currently up for debate.

TEAMtalk sources have suggested that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is open to a managerial change in the summer, with some players no longer believing in Ten Hag and his methods.

Player power seems to be a real issue at Old Trafford and that’s perhaps no surprise when so many senior players are currently earning more than Ten Hag.

In this feature, we take a closer look at the top earners at Man Utd and how much Ten Hag is paid in comparison.

Note: all player wages have been sourced from Capology.

10. Erik ten Hag – £9m per year

The Dutch boss is currently taking home £9m per year which is the equivalent of £173,000 per week. That makes him the fifth highest-paid manager in the Premier League, behind Mikel Arteta, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.

Ten Hag is under contract with the club until the summer of 2025, although there is a real possibility that he is cut loose at the end of the season.

The club are expected to wait until the end of the campaign to make a final decision on his future with several replacements currently under consideration.

9. Harry Maguire – £9.8m per year

The first player earning more than Ten Hag is former captain Maguire. He arrived in the summer of 2019 on a lucrative six-year contract which is worth £9.8m per year.

Having endured an inconsistent few years at Old Trafford, it’s fair to say that Maguire’s market value has dwindled significantly since he was purchased for £80m.

He was relieved of his captain duties by Ten Hag at the start of the season and an exit in the near future seems more than likely.

8. Jadon Sancho – £10.1m per year

One of the biggest talking points of the Ten Hag era has revolved around Sancho. Things hit boiling point between the pair earlier in the season and the winger was subsequently sent to Borussia Dortmund on loan as a consequence of his actions.

With Sancho unwilling to apologise, it doesn’t seem like there is a way back for him at the club while Ten Hag is still in charge.

Given his astronomical wage packet, a permanent move to Borussia Dortmund doesn’t seem likely at this stage, unless Sancho is willing to significantly drop his pay.

“Realistically, the chance of Sancho playing for Dortmund in the next season isn’t very high,” BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl told Sky Deutschland.

“There was no possibility, in any form economically feasible for us, to secure an option to buy.”

7. Antony – £10.4m per year

Of the signings that Ten Hag has made, Antony has probably received the most criticism. The £82m winger has struggled to justify his lofty price tag and these days he doesn’t get much of a chance in the starting XI.

Given the superb form of Alejandro Garnacho of late, Antony has been reduced to a squad role since the start of the year. With two goal contributions from 28 matches this season, he isn’t exactly justifying his £10.4m annual wage either.

“He hasn’t shown it lately, but I know what his talent is, and it’s about proving his talent, and it’s about him,” Ten Hag told reporters last month.

“You have competition, and now he has to show himself on the training pitch, but also others because we have opportunities there.”

READ MORE: Ten Hag sack: The eight Man Utd players whose standards have most dipped and leave Dutchman on the brink of axe

6. Bruno Fernandes – £12.48m per year

Of Man Utd’s top earners, Fernandes is probably one of the few players who justifies his lofty salary. The Portuguese playmaker has 134 goal contributions in 221 games since joining the club in January 2020.

Fernandes has been the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia in recent months, but the Red Devils seem confident of keeping him for the time being.

=4. Mason Mount – £13m per year

We’d forgive you for forgetting that Mount even plays for Man Utd, given the midfielder hasn’t featured for the club since November.

Following his switch from Chelsea in the summer, the 25-year-old has endured a miserable time with injuries. He’s only started in four Premier League matches and is yet to justify his £55m price tag.

=4. Anthony Martial – £13m per year

In January 2019, Martial signed a fresh deal with the Red Devils worth a whopping £13m per year. That’s the equivalent of £250,000 per week.

Since extending his contract with the club, Man Utd haven’t seen much of a return on their investment. Since the 2020/21 campaign, Martial has only scored 12 league goals for the club.

While the club does have the option to extend his deal by a further year, it seems like United are happy to take a financial hit on him and let him leave on a free transfer in the summer.

IN DEPTH – Anthony Martial at Man Utd: Where it all went wrong, from expensive wonderkid to flop who can’t leave quickly enough

3. Marcus Rashford – £15.6m per year

After penning a new contract last summer, Rashford became the club’s third-highest earner with a yearly salary of £15.6m.

The 26-year-old can be a game changer on his day, but there’s no denying that his levels have dropped significantly since signing a new bumper contract last year.

Rashford has averaged a goal contribution every 238.25 minutes in the Premier League this season. That’s quite the regression from last season when he was averaging a goal or assist every 131.4 minutes.

2. Raphael Varane – £17.68m per year

With his long-term future being up in the air, Varane’s days could be numbered at Old Trafford. The Frenchman arrived from Real Madrid in 2021 and has been picking up a weekly wage of £340,000 in that time.

His current deal with the club is set to expire in the summer after United opted against triggering the one-year option in his deal. The club could still offer Varane a new deal, at reduced terms, but it remains to be seen if this would be of interest to the defender.

With clubs from Saudi Arabia said to be interested, they will no doubt be keeping tabs on his situation at the club.

1. Casemiro – £18.2m per year

The outright highest-earner at the club. To put Casemiro’s wage into context, he is currently earning more than double the salary of Ten Hag.

While he made a good impact during his first season, his levels have undeniably dropped off this year. United seem keen on replacing Casemiro with a younger alternative, although shifting him off the wage bill won’t be easy.

Given he is still under contract until 2026, United could be hard-pressed to find a potential buyer for the £70m midfielder.

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