Manchester United Players Wages - How Much Is Saved

Transfer fees have often grabbed the headlines in recent years, with records being broken along with peoples jaws when they hear about the massive amounts of money spent by clubs eager for top class additions. However, the players wages have also become of interest to many football fans, with some eager to compare to certain other professions seen as more productive, while others are simply interested to find out how much their favourite player is earning.

Manchester United have been busy this transfer market, with incoming and outgoing players, all of whom command a certain wage, so out of interest, I did a bit of research. I wanted to find out how much Manchester United will be saving a week from the sales of players like Wes Brown and John O'Shea to Sunderland as well as the retirement of Edwin van der Sar, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville and the release of Owen Hargreaves.

Firstly may I start my saying that these are all reported figures in the media of how much the individual players are earning/will earn per week. The outgoing players:

Edwin van der Sar; £90,000 a week

Wes Brown; £50,000 a week

John O'Shea; £50,000 a week

Owen Hargreaves; £75,000 a week

Paul Scholes; £60,000 a week

Gary Neville £60,000 a week

Possibly Darron Gibson on £40,000 a week

TOTAL: £385,000 a week (or including the departure of Gibson to Sunderland, £425,000 a week)

Now onto the arrivals at Manchester United so far, which have included Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea who cost United just under £50 million in transfer costs.

David de Gea; £70,000 a week

Phil Jones; £50,000 a week

Ashley Young; £100,000 a week

TOTAL: £220,000 a week

Now if you subtract the amount of wages paid to the new players from the amount United will probably save from the outgoing players, Manchester United will be saving £165,000 a week or £205,000 a week if Darron Gibson departs. 

This leaves quite a large amount for Manchester United to work with in their search to replace Paul Scholes. Wesley Sneijder is apparently after around £200,000 a week, which is quite excessive, even for football, while United's other main target, Arsenal's Samir Nasri is reportedly asking for just over £100,000. Through these savings mentioned, United could afford either players wages easily.

What do you think? Should Manchester United opt for the cheaper and possibly easier option in going all out to sign Samir Nasri from Arsenal, or should they attempt to strike a mega money deal with Inter to bring Wesley Sneijder to Old Trafford? According to reports, Manchester United have bid for Arsenal's Nasri, but Wenger's club are holding out for £25 million rather than the £20 million offered.

Any corrections to the wages mentioned would be welcomed - the ones here are only an estimation from varying reports.

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PICTURES: Beckham Back in United Kit

David Beckham returned to Old Trafford for Gary Neville's testimonial game against Juventus in which Manchester United lost 2 - 1. However, it was never about the result, but the occasion, and the great occasion saw the return of the class of 1992, with the Neville brothers, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and of course David Beckham.
Gary Neville said:

"The most important thing was that the lads got through it without getting injured. I enjoyed the night, and it was a great turn-out."

"It was played at a high tempo which was important with Saturday coming up for the lads." 

"I'm so proud of everything. Hopefully now it can be a great week and we can finish it off on Saturday." 

"The fans have so much to contend with, they are always loyal to the players and they have done that again tonight."

Enjoy the Pictures Below:

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A Passionate Rivalry Fuelled by Desire to Win

Ryan Giggs once said that the fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United is "probably the most famous fixture in English football". The veteran United player was speaking from experience - vast experience, and if anyone between the two sides still playing knows how deeply intense and important a game between the two sides is, it is Giggs. He has won 11 Premier League medals during his 21 years at Old Trafford, and under Sir Alex Ferguson, has equalled Liverpool's record for League titles.

18 titles each, and the end of the season is on the horizon. Neither side have relived their glory days this season, and, in Liverpool's case, have seen their quality dive to an unexpected and very unwelcome low under Roy Hodgson. Replaced by Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, and their form picked up, but such was their deficit of the leaders, that they now have no chance of catching either United or Arsenal at the top of the table and preventing their North West rivals from taking that 19th title.

The record means "so much" according to Rooney. The young United striker may not have as deeply rooted loyalty to United than Ryan Giggs has possessed over the passed two decades, but his past with Everton has fuelled his contempt for the Reds. He said yesterday that winning the 19th title for United would mean not only so much to United fans, but Everton fans too, who love to see their rivals suffer. 

"I grew up an Everton fan so to be part of the team to overtake Liverpool's record would be brilliant. It would mean so much to us players as well as the fans.

"It is something I have been thinking about a lot. I know all the Everton fans want us to do it and hopefully we can. You look forward to every game at this stage and you've got to enjoy it, especially when you are in the running for a few trophies. It is exciting for the fans and it's exciting for the players knowing that you are just a few weeks away from possibly winning a major trophy or two."

Liverpool's modern team have, as it is well known, failed to win a Premier League title, and in the meantime, United have succeeded at the pinnacle of the League table time after time, even winning the title three times in a row from 06/07 to 08/09. Liverpool have only been able to watch United succeed with gritted teeth - only coming close in the 08/09 season when they achieved their highest points total of 86 which was still not enough to overcome United. 

Players feel this rivalry, as Rooney showed in the quote above. Gary Neville, recently retired from United had a stunning passion for beating Liverpool, and as a result became a massive hate figure for Liverpool fans. This kind of fiery, hot-blooded conflict between players and opposing fans create that fantastic atmosphere in games. Much like Roy Keane's hatred for both Arsenal, and losing moulded the way in which the United - Arsenal games were played.

Steven Gerrard too, a talismanic figure for Liverpool who has often carried the team when many of the team dragged their heels with laziness is involved in this fight of the North West. The captain of Liverpool inspires his side at times admirably, but his main ambition to win a Premier League title has so far failed, and as he gets older, this achievement looks more and more unlikely. Gerrards banning of any Manchester United shirts in his house really sums up this burning rivalry.

Just as it means "so much" to Wayne Rooney and indeed I am sure, Ryan Giggs, it means a great deal to fans of both sides who live to see their respective teams succeed, and defeating their rivalry along the way. Whether there ferocious tackles, dubious decisions, last gasp goals or referee criticism, this is a rivalry that will continue with the same burning passion and interest for a long time. 

Will Hargreaves Follow Neville & van der sar Into Retirement?

Poor Owen Hargreaves. The Manchester United midfielder has constantly been plagued with terrible injuries to his knees, suffering from an extremely serious case of patellar tendinitis which was described by his surgeon, who has 35 years experience in his field as the worst case he had ever seen.

It takes an incredibly strong minded individual to keep going despite being bombarded with injuries which must frustrate the undoubtedly talented individual beyond belief. It would be fair to call the Canadian born England midfielder "injury prone", or perhaps just "unbelievably unlucky". The question is, how can he continue at the top level with all of these injuries - the latest one a torn hamstring, of which I gather, he is slowly recovering from.

Manchester United have already seen Gary Neville walk out of Old Trafford after an outstandingly successful long career wearing red, while Edwin van der sar has announced his retirement at the grand age of 40. Nobody likes to see a professional have to step down, whether it be because of their advancing age, or incessant injuries. But sometimes it is necessary.

Hargreaves joined United in 2007, hoping to help the Red Devils to unrivalled success with him playing a big part. The former became true, as it has consistently done over the years, and the latter was true for the first year. In United's 2007/08 season, Hargreaves clocked up a good 34 appearances in all competitions, playing his part in United's Premier League and Champions League success that year. However, a couple of seasons down the line, and the players' tally of appearances has only increased by 5 - and not many of them were where he played the full 90 minutes.

Hargreaves is now 30 years old, and the Manchester United team is starting to bring in younger players into the setup. His contract expires in the summer, so Hargreaves is currently in a race against time to prove to his manager that he deserves a contract renewal. But if there is one thing that Hargreaves knows from experience which shouldn't be rushed, it is injuries. It is sad to say, but it looks as if he is fighting a losing battle. When will we see him back for United at 100% fitness and battling away like the engine he is at the heart of the United midfield? I'm not so sure we will.

On Monday, Hargreaves was included in the club's 25-man Premier League squad, but he has not made the cut for the Champions League. It would be great to see him return, but whenever I see him on the pitch, I am constantly weary of his fragility, and frightened that in a flicker, he could be hobbling off of the pitch, down the tunnel and into that all too familiar treatment room. Despite his inclusion in the Premier League squad for the second half of the season, it seems unlikely that he will play a big part.

Hargreaves has had a successful career as a footballer. Seven years at Bayern Munich saw him win four German Bundesliga titles and the 2000/01 Champions League. His short happy period at United also saw him win a Premier League and yet another European trophy, but age and injury have taken its toll on poor Hargreaves, and he may be only one more injury away from hanging up his boots and giving up football for the sake of his body.