Manchester United's return to the Champions League will trigger a 25% salary increase for most of their squad, with the precise benefit varying according to individual contract terms, the Guardian reports.
The club's highest earner, Bruno Fernandes, will move to approximately £250,000 a week as a result of the uplift. Not every player will receive the full 25% rise, but the Guardian understands the majority of the squad will benefit in some form from the qualification.
Two players whose situations differ slightly are Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire. Mainoo signed a new five-year contract worth around £120,000 a week last week, while Maguire recently agreed a one-year extension. According to the Guardian, both deals contain incentive clauses tied specifically to participation in next season's Champions League, rather than a straightforward percentage increase on their current basic terms.
The arrangement reflects a broader structure at Old Trafford in which continental qualification is written directly into contract negotiation. For a club of United's standing and wage commitments, the ability to link pay rises to Champions League football provides some protection against the costs of extended absences from Europe's top tier — as the club experienced in recent seasons. Which players, if any, will miss out entirely on an increase has not been confirmed, though the Guardian notes that individual contract clauses are likely to explain any variation.
United's return to the Champions League represents a significant change in financial circumstances for the club. Revenue from the competition itself, combined with the commercial and sponsorship premiums that European football attracts, will go some way towards absorbing the additional wage commitments now coming into effect. Whether the squad assembled for next season's campaign will be materially strengthened in the transfer market remains to be seen, though the sporting and financial planning will now be calibrated around a return to Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the group stage.