Manchester United set to introduce 'Cristiano Ronaldo' rule to limit salaries of players

Manchester United reportedly implemented a 'Cristiano Ronaldo rule' that sets player earnings at £200,000 per week to prevent players from earning'significantly more' than their teammates.

The decision was made after Ronaldo, who was earning roughly £500,000 per week, left the club in November last year.

This is said to be the next stage in Erik ten Hag's effort to construct a cohesive and united squad at the club. According to The Daily Mail, the Dutchman and chief executive Richard Arnold made the decision to implement the salary cap.

This rule will affect goalkeeper David de Gea first, as the Spaniard presently makes £375,000 per week and his contract expires at the conclusion of the season.

Senior players such as Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Casemiro, and Bruno Fernandes earn between £180,000 and £200,000 per week, and the club hopes to stay within that range in the future.

The Red Devils, on the other hand, may have a problem with Marcus Rashford. They just activated a one-year contract extension for him, which is estimated to be worth £400,000 per week. With multiple European teams interested in his talents, it is unknown whether Rashford will agree to the new wage structure and renew his contract.

Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United.

The 37-year-old, however, was unable to play for the Saudi Pro League team since they had reached their maximum number of international players. Ronaldo is their ninth foreign player, one more than the league's limit.

According to reports, Al-Nassr resolved the issue by cancelling their contract with Vincent Aboubakar.

Al-Nassr terminates the contract of Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar to comply with the maximum number of 8 foreign players set by the Saudi FA.

"Aboubakar received all the financial compensation he was entitled to,” a source close to the Saudi club told AFP.pic.twitter.com/jSLoP7YbK2 — Oluwashina Okeleji (@oluwashina) January 7, 2023

Aboubakar, who scored two goals and assisted once for Cameroon at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, is currently a free agent. Interestingly, he has recently been linked with a move to Manchester United. The English giants, along with Turkish side Fenerbahce, were said to have made a loan bid for his services.

The Red Devils are reportedly looking to recruit a forward this month, as Ronaldo's exit has left them with only Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as striker options, both of whom are prone to injury.

READ| WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo cheers for his new side Al-Nassr while working out, video goes viral