Salaries at Manchester United to be capped at £200,000-a-week, it's been called 'the Ronaldo rule'

Manchester United will attempt to avoid a culture of jealousy in the dressing room by enforcing a squad-wide salary cap, according to reports, and it has been labelled 'the Ronaldo rule'.

In the not-so distant past, United have been willing to break their wage structure to lure the so-called 'big brand' players to Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, was said to be on a reported £515,385-a-week during his most recent spell at the club. But it appears handing out such wages are now out of the question.

That's because salaries will be capped at £200,000-a-week under the regime of chief executive Richard Arnold, director of football John Murtough and manager Erik ten Hag.

The Daily Mail claim goalkeeper David De Gea will be the first player to be impacted by the rule.

The Spaniard, who was previously on a reported £375,000-a-week, has been given a far lower 'take it or leave it' offer in line with the wage cut. But it appears he will take it with both hands.

When asked if he would finish his career at Old Trafford, De Gea told The Guardian: "I hope so. I was saying this is my club, I’ve been here many, many years and it’s a huge honour to be here and I’m so happy here.

“Yeah, I’m very relaxed [about the contract], just focussed on training, performing as best as I can. But, for sure, it’s going to end in a good way.”

Luke Shaw, another player who has impressed under Ten Hag this season, is set to be offered similar terms to De Gea.

So who else will be impacted? We know Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to United in 2021 helped see the club set a new record for the highest annual wage bill in Premier League history.

Highest earners at Old Trafford included Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, Casemiro and Anthony Martial, who were all earning more than the £200,000-a-week in wages, according to figures posted by Spotrac.

But the report from The Daily Mail claims senior players like Varane, Harry Maguire, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are now in the same pay bracket of £180,000 to £200,000-a-week.

It has also been noted that sanctions will be handed down if they fail to secure Champions League qualification.

Some have raised eyebrows over the reported salary cap, including former Manchester United defender Gary Neville.

He said on Twitter: "Not sure why any radical new policy is being introduced if new owners are imminent," before replying to a fan who said he wasn't sure a £200k per week limit was a radical policy.

Neville added: "Capping wages is a radical policy. Rules out Rice, Bellingham and others in that bracket. Any new owners would probably want to enter the running for these types and probably Mbappe as well. Anyway enjoy Sunday."

The salary cap could potentially limit their activity in the transfer market. If you look at the highest paid players in world football at this present moment, they are all on way above the £200,000-a-week cap.

Kevin De Bruyne, for example, earns £400,000-a-week at reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, while Neymar [£606k], Lionel Messi [£960k] and Kylian Mbappe [£1.6m] rake in far more.

Thoughts on reports suggesting Manchester United will enforce a squad-wide salary cap?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo, Premier League, David De Gea, Casemiro, Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

@jackkenmare_