Kieran Maguire: Man United risk losing multiple big-name stars for free as £228m ‘problem’ revealed
Man United run the risk of allowing multiple stars to leave on free transfers if they cap their weekly earnings at £200,000.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Red Devils’ new wage ceiling.
As relayed by the Daily Mail earlier this month (7 January), salaries will be capped at £ 200,000 a week in an initiative dubbed the ‘Ronaldo rule’.
Long-serving goalkeeper David De Gea, 32, earns £375,000 per week and is set to be one of the first players impacted when he renegotiates his contract ahead of its expiry in the summer.
Casemiro, Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane accompany the Spaniard in the list of the highest earners at United, where £228million was spent on wages last year alone, the highest in the Premier League.
But while the wage cap will keep costs down, Kieran Maguire suggests that it could also limit the cash the club is able to earn in the player sales department.
“If United do introduce this cap, this will only apply to new contracts going forward,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“If they tried to do that in respect of the likes of David De Gea, it would be a breach. The player would be entitled to seek compensation from the club.
“Those players who are on more money would be entitled to walk away for nothing, which would impact Man Unite in terms of their ability to generate money from the transfer market.
“That would be a problem because the money they generate in this department is already substantially less than what we see from their peer group.
“That in turn impacts what they are able to spend under the profit and sustainability regulations.”
In other news, Sir Jim Ratcliffe submitting formal Man United takeover offer amid £8billion reveal.