The 2023/24 season has been rough for Manchester United after their fantastic start to life under Erik ten Hag last year.
The Red Devils have gone from being the third-best team in the country to one that looks unlikely to finish in the top four, lest Tottenham Hotspur implode.
However, it's not all doom and gloom, as there are some shoots of hope within the team, notably Alejandro Garnacho, who looks brilliant.
The young star looks set for a bright future at Old Trafford, yet he still earns significantly less than a player who seems destined to leave the club.
Alejandro Garnacho's salary at Manchester United
United signed the young Argentinian from La Liga giants Atlético Madrid in September 2020, and within two years, he was making regular cameo appearances for the first team.
In the 2022/23 campaign, the Madrid-born sensation made 34 appearances for the first team, scoring five goals, providing five assists, and contributing to the team's League Cup triumph.
Appearances
2
34
37
Goals
0
5
7
Assists
0
5
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0
0.29
0.27
This season, the "insane" ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has maintained his impressive displays for the Red Devils and has seven goals and three assists to his name in just 37 appearances.
It looks as if the importance of the three-capped international to United will only keep growing as time passes, so it made perfect sense to see the club offer him a new deal in April of last year, a deal that sees him take home £50k-per-week.
Now, while that's certainly a significant amount of money, there are still plenty of players at Old Trafford who are earning a lot more.
While most of those players have earned their healthy pay packets, there is one who, it can be argued, hasn't.
Donny van de Beek's salary at Manchester United
The player in question is Dutch midfielder and former Champions League semi-finalist Donny van de Beek.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær signed the promising midfielder for £39m from Ajax in September 2020 – coincidentally the same month they signed Garnacho – and given his high-profile performances in Europe for the Amsterdam club, there was a level of excitement that came with the news.
However, in his first season in Manchester, the then-23-year-old, who was given a £120k-per-week contract, would play just 1,456 minutes of football across 36 appearances, in which he scored one goal and provided two assists.
The following campaign was even worse, as he would be given just 380 minutes of action before being sent out on loan to Everton – who covered his wages – for the latter half of the campaign, where a thigh injury would limit him to just seven appearances.
Last year was his worst yet in England, as a knee collateral ligament strain sidelined him for 229 days and limited him to just 294 minutes of competitive action for the Red Devils.
This season he made just two appearances for United before he was sent on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt in January – who are covering 60% of his wages – where he has since played six games.
In all, the Dutchman has played just 2,151 minutes of football for the Red Devils in 62 appearances since making his move to the club three and a half years ago.
Transfer Fee
£39m
Total Wages
£19.2m
Total Cost (so far)
£58.2m
Appearances
62
Cost per Appearance
£938k
Minutes
2,151
Cost per Minute
£27k
Goals
2
Cost per Goal
£29.1m
Assists
2
Cost per Assist
£29.1m
Goal Involvements
4
Cost per Goal Involvement
£14.5m
So, with the 156 weeks he has spent earning £120k from United and the ten weeks the club have paid 40% of that for Frankfurt – £48k-per-week – Van de Beek has cost the club £19.2m in wages alone, which when combined with his transfer fee, comes to a whopping £58.2m.
That means he has cost the club £938k-per-appearance, £29.1m-per-goal, or £14.5m-per-goal-involvement, and, between Frankfurt and United, is earning 140% more than Garnacho.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
Ultimately, while there have been some injury problems along the way, this transfer has unequivocally failed, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe should be looking to sell Van de Beek for whatever he can in the summer.
