The Manchester United wage bill for the 2026/27 season shows a club trying to change the way it handles player salaries after years of handing out some very large contracts.
The days of giving ageing stars huge wages with little thought for their future value appear to be fading. Under INEOS, United have been trying to build a more controlled wage structure, with bonuses and performance-related payments playing a bigger part in several contracts.
The departures of high earners such as Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia have also helped reduce some of the older salary commitments around the squad.
Based on the latest figures, United’s total base wage bill stands at around £3.38 million per week, which works out at approximately £175.7 million per year, before performance bonuses are added.
The potential bonus payments across the squad are estimated at another £56.1 million.
That gives you a useful picture of how much United have committed to player wages, although individual salaries are estimates because the club does not publish every player’s contract details.
Manchester United’s Highest-Paid Players
At the top of the wage list are Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, with the two senior figures earning £325,000 and £300,000 per week respectively in the figures used for this article.
Rashford’s salary puts him at the top of the table, while Fernandes remains one of the club’s most important senior players and the captain.
There is then a noticeable gap before the next group begins at around £200,000 per week. Youri Tielemans and Mason Mount are both listed at that level, while Matthijs de Ligt is close behind on £195,000.
Benjamin Šeško is next among the club’s major earners at £160,000 per week, giving the young striker an annual base salary of about £8.3 million.
| Player | Position | Weekly Salary | Annual Salary | Contract Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Rashford | Forward | £325,000 | £16.9m | 2028 |
| Bruno Fernandes | Midfielder | £300,000 | £15.6m | 2027 |
| Youri Tielemans | Midfielder | £200,000 | £10.4m | 2031 |
| Mason Mount | Midfielder | £200,000 | £10.4m | 2028 |
| Matthijs de Ligt | Defender | £195,000 | £10.0m | 2029 |
| Benjamin Šeško | Forward | £160,000 | £8.3m | 2030 |
SEE ALSO | Arsenal Wage Bill 2026/27- All Player’s Salaries
The Main Squad Wage Group
The next section of the wage bill contains a large group of established players earning between £105,000 and £150,000 per week.
Kobbie Mainoo is listed at £150,000 per week after his long-term contract extension, putting the young midfielder on the same basic wage as Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw.
Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha are also listed at £150,000 per week, giving United four players at that level.
Noussair Mazraoui follows on £135,000, while Manuel Ugarte, Amad Diallo, Lisandro Martínez and Leny Yoro are each listed at £120,000 per week.
Joshua Zirkzee completes this section at £105,000 per week.
The contract lengths are also worth noting. Several of these players are tied down until 2029 or 2030, while Mainoo’s deal runs through 2031. That means the decisions made on these contracts will affect United’s wage structure for several seasons.
| Player | Position | Weekly Salary | Annual Salary | Contract Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobbie Mainoo | Midfielder | £150,000 | £7.8m | 2031 |
| Harry Maguire | Defender | £150,000 | £7.8m | 2027 |
| Bryan Mbeumo | Forward | £150,000 | £7.8m | 2030 |
| Luke Shaw | Defender | £150,000 | £7.8m | 2027 |
| Matheus Cunha | Forward | £150,000 | £7.8m | 2030 |
| Noussair Mazraoui | Defender | £135,000 | £7.0m | 2028 |
| Manuel Ugarte 🇺🇾 | Midfielder | £120,000 | £6.2m | 2029 |
| Amad Diallo 🇨🇮 | Forward | £120,000 | £6.2m | 2030 |
| Lisandro Martínez 🇦🇷 | Defender | £120,000 | £6.2m | 2027 |
| Leny Yoro 🇫🇷 | Defender | £120,000 | £6.2m | 2029 |
| Joshua Zirkzee 🇳🇱 | Forward | £105,000 | £5.5m | 2029 |
| Carlos Baleba 🇨🇲 | Midfielder | £90,000 | £4.7m | 2031 |
| Diogo Dalot 🇵🇹 | Defender | £85,000 | £4.4m | 2028 |
| Andrey Santos 🇧🇷 | Midfielder | £75,000 | £3.9m | 2031 |
Younger Players and Academy Contracts
The bottom end of United‘s wage bill looks very different from the top.
Patrick Dorgu is listed at £40,000 per week, while Ayden Heaven and Diego León are both on £25,000. Those figures are still substantial salaries by normal standards, but they are modest compared with the contracts given to established first-team players.
The academy group earns considerably less, with Chido Obi-Martin on £15,000 per week and players such as Shea Lacey, Dermot Mee, Tynan Thompson, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher and Ethan Wheatley listed at £10,000.
At the very bottom of the table is JJ Gabriel, whose reported base salary is only £300 per week.
| Player | Position | Weekly Salary | Annual Salary | Contract Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senne Lammens | Goalkeeper | £60,000 | £3.1m | 2030 |
| Patrick Dorgu | Defender | £40,000 | £2.1m | 2030 |
| Karl Darlow | Goalkeeper | £30,000 | £1.6m | 2028 |
| Ayden Heaven | Defender | £25,000 | £1.3m | 2029 |
| Diego León | Defender | £25,000 | £1.3m | 2029 |
| Tom Heaton | Goalkeeper | £25,000 | £1.3m | 2027 |
| Chido Obi-Martin | Forward | £15,000 | £780,000 | 2029 |
| Shea Lacey | Forward | £10,000 | £520,000 | 2029 |
| Dermot Mee | Goalkeeper | £10,000 | £520,000 | 2028 |
| Tynan Thompson | Midfielder | £10,000 | £520,000 | 2030 |
| Jack Fletcher | Midfielder | £10,000 | £520,000 | 2027 |
| Tyler Fletcher | Midfielder | £10,000 | £520,000 | 2027 |
| Ethan Wheatley | Forward | £10,000 | £520,000 | 2028 |
| JJ Gabriel | Forward | £300 | £18,200 | 2027 |
SEE ALSO | Chelsea Wage Bill 2026/27: All Player Salaries
The Perspective
The shape of the 2026/27 wage bill shows United trying to spread their spending more carefully across the squad.
Some very large contracts remain at the top, but more younger players have been given longer deals rather than immediately moving into the £200,000-plus bracket.
The bonus figures are also worth watching. The estimated £56.1 million bonus pool means a sizeable part of the potential payroll is linked to individual or team targets, rather than being guaranteed as basic salary.
That approach gives United more room to manage costs, although the real test will come when these long contracts reach their later years.
For now, the numbers paint a clear picture. United still have a huge wage bill, but the money is spread across a squad that mixes established stars, expensive recent signings and a growing group of young players whose contracts could shape the club’s finances for years to come.
