Cristiano Ronaldo's Massive Salary Sees Manchester United Wage Bill Sour to Record Highs

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo may have lightened England with his dazzling play since his arrival at Man United in September, but his return to Old Trafford has also had a cascading effect on the iconic club's finances.

Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning comeback to English giants Man United has sent the club's wage bill souring to record highs, Spanish outlet Marca reported on Thursday.

As per the publication, the Red Devils' salary figures have risen by nearly $1.85 million a week when compared to the third quarter of 2020. In a nutshell, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer side's wage bill has seen a surge of almost 25 percent.

And CR7 is the main man behind United's soaring bill as the Portugal captain returned to Old Trafford on a weekly salary of $740,000 - the highest ever in the Premier League.

While United paid only $18m for the 36-year-old footballer's transfer from Juventus, his $40m annual pay package is something that is hurting the former Premier League champions' finances a lot.

Besides Ronaldo, the signings of England internationals Jadon Sancho and Tom Heaton, and French centre-back Raphael Varane have contributed significantly to United's staggering spending this summer.

United managed to offset a good chunk of its spending by selling a few players, including Dan James, who was bought by Leeds United for $22.5m.

Additionally, the club's revenue rose by an impressive 16.1 percent as fans made a return to stadiums after COVID-19 norms were eased in the United Kingdom.