- Mason Mount’s pay packet set to soar next season
- Most of squad set for 25% increase in wages
- Wage bump makes it harder to move 27-year-old on
The yo-yo nature of Manchester United‘s participation in the UEFA Champions League since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013 introduced a financial safety net.
There is a clause written into player contracts as a result of failing to qualify for the Champions League. It is designed to align with a drop in annual revenue at Old Trafford. This is something that predates the era of INEOS and has been widely reported as far back as the 2018/19 season.
As a result of United automatically qualifying for Europe’s elite competition next season, wages are expected to soar for the first time since 2023/24. For some, it is a well-deserved pat on the back for their efforts this season. However, for others, it makes the task of moving them on a little bit more difficult.
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Mount Set for Wage Hike
According to The Sun’s Samuel Luckhurst, “Mount’s salary will increase to £250,000-a-week” as a result of United returning to the Champions League scene in 2026/27.
After his rant last year about ‘not good enough’ players who are ‘overpaid’, Luckhurst suggests that these are the sort of wages that “would make Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s jaw drop”. In comparison, captain Bruno Fernandes is also expected to earn around the same amount. However, the contrast in influence on the team has been apparent.
The journalist also writes that “United could maximise Mount with more matches”, but it will massively depend on the availability of the former Chelsea midfielder.
Mount enjoyed his time as a system player under Ruben Amorim, but has struggled for gametime under Michael Carrick due to injuries and selection reasons. Over the course of this season, the midfielder has played 21 times in the Premier League, starting just eleven matches.
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The Mason Mount Predicament
If Mount can maintain an injury-free record, he absolutely has the potential to be an asset for Manchester United. Against Sunderland, he was used as a defensive midfielder and performed well in doing so.
His biggest problem has never been his talent. Rather, it is his availability to apply those said talents on the football pitch.
This season, the Englishman has missed 73 days through injury. Last season, it was even worse with 112 days missed through two separate hamstring issues. Going even further back, he missed 149 days in his first season at Old Trafford.
While those numbers have gradually got better, patience within the fanbase and the club has slowly run out. Reports from earlier this month suggested that Coventry City could be interested in the player. Mount’s former manager, Frank Lampard, in charge of the Sky Blues, could be tempted with a Premier League reunion.
However, the new bumper salary makes it impractical to do a deal unless Mount is willing to take a significant wage cut. Even from a Coventry perspective, they would find it hard to rationalise going big on an injury-prone player.
With his contract not expiring until 2028, Mount may have to settle for finding a way into the United side. Any other options look out of the question, as it would be highly unlikely for him to go out on loan.
