Man United Risk as Liverpool Repeats Sadio Mané Transfer Trick amid $61m Gap
The transfer fee is not the only expenditure involved for Jürgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag, as both Liverpool and Manchester United have begun to make moves this summer.
As each transfer occurs in the Premier League this summer, the advertised transfer fee somewhat conceals the actual quantity of money being spent.
Erling Haaland, for instance, cost significantly more than Manchester City’s $81 million (£64 million/€75 million) release clause when wages and agent’s expenses were factored in.
Even modest movements are considerably more expensive than the transfer fee alone. Dominik Szoboszlai’s release clause was $77m (£61m/€70m), but Liverpool will have spent significantly more due to his five-year salary.
Under FSG, Liverpool has frequently signed players who are on the verge of becoming superstars, with the idea being to bring them in on lower wages and then gradually build them up.
Sadio Mané, for example, was signed in 2016 and given a pay raise in 2018 as a reward. He had one year remaining on his contract when Liverpool sold him. Mohamed Salah was the recipient of the third compensation increase and the contract extension.
This summer, the same strategy has been employed. According to the ECHO, Liverpool has signed Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister for approximately $150,000 per week, which is significantly less than what other clubs are willing to pay.
Mason Mount, for example, inked a contract with Manchester United this week worth more than $300,000 per week. On a five-year contract, this represents a difference of approximately $32 million between, say, Mount and Szoboszlai.
Liverpool made an exception for the signing of Thiago Alcantara, but the former Bayern Munich player was acquired for a comparatively low transfer fee (less than half of what Mount cost Manchester United), so his addition was less expensive overall.
The remainder of the transfers brought in have been for relatively modest salaries compared to those available elsewhere. Salah only moved into the same league as players like Jadon Sancho and Kai Havertz in the past year. In most cases, participants begin at the bottom and work their way up the ladder.
It has dual benefits for Liverpool. On the one hand, the wage structure is manageable and everyone earns comparable amounts; on the other hand, everyone is incentivized to continue developing and win trophies.
Even a potentially club-record signing like Darwin Nez was brought in on a relatively low salary compared to the rest of the Premier League’s biggest contracts, indicating that Liverpool has avoided handing out a large number of lucrative contracts in all scenarios.
Mount and Sancho aren’t the only players at Manchester United. Raphal Varane, Casemiro, Anthony Martial, and Bruno Fernandes all receive comparable salaries; two of these players are 30 or older, and Martial is extraneous to requirements. When Marcus Rashford signs a new contract, he will be included in this cohort.
While Rashford can readily contend that he is worth that much to the club, there is a risk for the other players. Despite being 31 years old, Casemiro still has four years remaining on his contract, whereas selling Martial would require him to accept a significant wage cut at his new club (unless he departs for free when his contract expires in 2024).
There must be players who contribute significantly more than Anthony Martial who question why they do not earn as much as he does.
Liverpool’s model is superior. While FSG has invested heavily in wages (according to The Mirror, Liverpool had the fourth highest wage bill in the Premier League last season, behind Chelsea and both Manchester clubs), it is more evenly distributed and performance-based, thereby preventing situations like those of Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho, who have been clear disappointments since moving to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund.
According to a report from The Mirror, Liverpool spent $61m (£48m/€56m) less on remuneration than Manchester United last season. However, with the departures of Naby Keta, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, along with new signings, things should even out. Rises will not occur until these new individuals have proven themselves.
Mason Mount could be a huge success for Erik ten Hag, but he represents Manchester United’s most recent risky acquisition, while Liverpool continues to take fewer chances.
Man United Risk as Liverpool Repeats Sadio Mané Transfer Trick amid $61m Gap
