Ronaldo’s crippling Man Utd pay cut – and stars who’ll overtake him on rich list

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Cristiano Ronaldo is set to face a big pay cut due to Manchester United's abysmal league form.

The Red Devils were destroyed over the weekend as their defence opened up against Brighton, and the south coast upstarts banged in four goals

A dumbfounded Ronaldo, with his United future in doubt, was seen laughing in disbelief as his side wilted in the face of pressure from the Seagulls.

The Portuguese veteran may not be laughing at his paycheck soon, thanks to a reported contract clause that means he will face a hefty pay cut in the near future.

The contract reportedly states that if United fail to qualify for the Champions League, some players will receive a whopping 25% slash to their pay.

It means the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's weekly wage may drop from £385,000 a week down to a measly £288,000. This would put him below some of the league's best players.

How much does Cristiano Ronaldo earn?

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According to reports, Cristiano Ronaldo earns roughly £385,000 a week at Manchester United, amounting to well over £20 million every year.

The astronomical sum was a huge pay cut from the £500,000 a week he was on at Italian champions Juventus, as Ronaldo decided to return to the team where he first shot to global recognition as one of the world's best footballing talents.

Reports by the Mail indicate Ronaldo will be able to negotiate his pay cut, set to drop him down to £288,000 every seven days in its current form.

The clause is there to protect the club against a loss of revenue due to not qualifying for the Champions League, as the 20-time league champions currently flounder in sixth place, with the risk of falling behind David Moyes' West Ham.

The wage itself is unlikely to upset Ronaldo financially, with Wealthy Gorilla estimating him to have a net worth of £400 milllion.

Which Premier League players earn more than Ronaldo?

With a reported drop in wage in the pipeline for Cristiano Ronaldo, his weekly wage will drop below some of the Premier League's biggest stars like Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne.

Kevin De Bruyne

The key to a midfield that has dominated English football recently, 'KDB' is regarded as one of the league's best players thanks to his superior passing range, driving runs from midfield and his eye for goal.

His success earns the Belgian 30-year-old a reported £385,000 a week, in a contract that runs until 2025.

Jack Grealish

De Bruyne's teammate Jack Grealish earns £300,000 every week and will do so with City until 2027.

Grealish emerged as his home club Aston Villa's talisman with tricky wing wizardry, allowing the England star to jink and dribble his way to over £15mil a year.

Raheem Sterling

Oil-backed City have three of the four players set to soar above Ronaldo on the rich list, and when the Qatar World Cup rolls into town it is actually England that could have one of the most expensive forward lines in the world.

Central to Gareth Southgate's plans could be Raheem Sterling, who is said, like Grealish, to earn a healthy £300,000 every week.

N'Golo Kante

Chelsea's little French wonder in midfield is N'Golo Kante, who has proved himself to be vital to both Premier League and Champions League titles for the Blues.

As the phrase goes "70% of the Earth is covered by water, the rest by N'Golo Kante" is a welcome tribute to a midfielder known for his ability to read the game and cover the space of two midfielders.

However, it turns out 30% of the Earth may actually be covered by the size of the World Cup winner's paycheck, as he rakes in £290,000 a week.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Manchester United FC
  • Premier League

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