Manchester United have handed out some seriously lucrative deals over the past few years and we’ve compiled them all into this XI.
While the Red Devils have fallen below expectations in recent seasons, they’ve not shied away from spending vast sums of money on players and their contracts.
Using figures provided by Capology, here is United’s highest-paid XI of all time in a 4-4-2 formation.
GK: David de Gea (£375k per week)
The Spanish shot-stopper spent 12 years at United and was earning a whopping £375k per week during his final few years at the club.
At his peak, he was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world and his wages certainly reflected that. However, he became increasingly error-prone in his later years and didn’t justify his lofty wage towards the end.
In comparison, his replacement, Andre Onana, is only earning a fraction of what De Gea was making. As per Capology, the Cameroon international is currently on £120k per week.
RB: Noussair Mazraoui (£ 135k per week)
After joining from Bayern Munich last summer, Mazraoui was handed a four-year contract, worth a reported £135k per week.
That’s more than the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Diogo Dalot, Antonio Valencia and Gary Neville were making during their time at the club.
Mazraoui was one of United’s most consistent performers last season, regularly garnering praise from fans and pundits alike.
CB: Raphael Varane (£340k per week)
During his final season with Real Madrid, Varane was earning around £285k per week and United handed him a juicy increase to lure him to Old Trafford.
Signed on a bumper contract worth £340k per week, Varane is officially the highest-paid defender in the club’s history.
While he had his moments in a United shirt, the Frenchman struggled to live up to the hype as injuries plagued his spell in England.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt (£ 195k per week)
Currently earning slightly more than Harry Maguire, De Ligt also makes this XI, earning £195k per week.
That’s more than the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were paid during their peak years with the club.
Under contract until 2029 with the option of an extra year, the Dutch defender is set to make over £10million per year while playing for the club.
LB: Luke Shaw (£150k per week)
Shaw last extended his deal with United in April 2023, on a deal worth £150k per week.
Since signing that contract, the England international has barely featured for the club, having missed the majority of the last two seasons through injury.
RM: Alexis Sanchez (£350k per week)
Given how Sanchez performed for United, this is arguably the worst contract that the club has ever handed out.
The Chilean winger looked like a shadow of his former self while playing at Old Trafford, all while taking home a whopping £350k per week.
Despite his mouthwatering wages, Sanchez seemed unsettled in Manchester from the moment he arrived.
“After the (first) session I got home and I told my family and my agent ‘can you not rip up the contract to go back to Arsenal?’,” Sanchez recalled on an Instagram live.
“They laughed, I told them there’s something that doesn’t sit right, it doesn’t seem good.
“But I already signed, I was already there. After the first few months I carried on having the same feeling, we weren’t united as a team in that moment.”
CM: Casemiro (£ 350k for Week)
During his prime years at Real Madrid, the Brazilian was supposedly earning around £182k per week.
United then came in and almost doubled his wages, offering him a four-year contract, worth £350k per week.
While the Brazilian has had his moments in a United shirt, you can’t help but think that his £18.2million yearly wage could be put to better use elsewhere.
CM: Paul Pogba (£290k per week)
Upon his return to United, Pogba was earning £290k per week and was one of the highest-paid players in the world.
His natural talent was obvious to see, but for £15million a year, United fans expected more consistency from the French international.
Following a six-year stint and 226 appearances, Pogba left on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
LM: Marcus Rashford (£300k per week)
During the summer of 2023, Rashford was handed a new five-year contract, worth in the region of £300k per week.
At the time, he was coming off the back of his best-ever scoring season, bagging an impressive 30 goals across all competitions.
However, since signing the lucrative deal, Rashford has never been able to recapture the same sort of form.
Still under contract until 2028, he’s now been sent out on loan to Barcelona, who are covering the entirety of his wages for the 2025-26 season.
ST: Radamel Falcao (£285k per week)
While on loan at United during the 2014-15 campaign, Falcao was earning considerably more than the likes of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.
In order to sign the Colombian forward, United paid a £6million loan fee to Monaco as well as covering Falcao’s entire £285k weekly wage.
The result? Four goals in 29 appearances across all competitions. Ouch.
ST: Cristiano Ronaldo (£515k per week)
By far the highest-paid player in the history of United is Ronaldo, who was handed a deal worth £515k per week upon his return to the club in 2021.
The buzz around Manchester was unprecedented upon CR7’s return and amid rumours that City were interested, United pulled out all the stops to make the deal happen.
Ronaldo finished the 2021-22 campaign as the club’s top scorer, bagging 24 goals across all competitions. However, things did turn sour in his second year.
Despite still being under contract until the summer of 2023, the deal was terminated prematurely, allowing him to move to Al-Nassr on a free transfer.
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