Manchester United are reportedly struggling to negotiate new contracts with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, with the two youngsters currently earning the same wages as third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Despite finding minutes harder to come by under new United head coach Ruben Amorim this season, the rise of Mainoo and Garnacho has been one of the club’s few bright points in the past year.
In April 2024, before the duo had reached scored to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final, reports claimed they were two of three players, alongside Rasmus Hojlund, who were not for sale under any circumstances in the upcoming transfer window. That was down to new billionaire owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanting to build his team around the pair.
But the Daily Mail now claims United are struggling to reach agreements over new deals with both Mainoo and Garnacho, whose current wages do not reflect their role in the squad. According to Spotrac, 19-year-old Mainoo is on £20,000-a-week, while 20-year-old Garnacho is on £50,000-per-week.
Meanwhile, 38-year-old reserve 'keeper Heaton, who has made just three appearances since returning to his boyhood club in 2021, is reportedly earning £45,000-a-week. With lacklustre results on the pitch and fall outs with big players already a problem at Old Trafford, upsetting their two young talents by not paying them more - and potentially losing them - signifies another issue which the club has to address.
Ratcliffe, who completed a deal to become the Red Devils’ minority owner in February, has sought to repair years of neglect and poor management by the Glazer family by trimming budgets across the club. Yet the INEOS chief’s cuts have been hugely unpopular, impacting some of the lowest-earning staff while still not being sufficient to solve issues such as the problematic wage structure.
