Manchester United have reportedly imposed a £200,000-a-week wage cap at the club following Cristiano Ronaldo's exit at the end of November.
Ronaldo's deal, which had been due to run until the end of the season, was believed to be worth in excess of £500,000 a week, making him comfortably the highest earner at Old Trafford.
David de Gea, meanwhile, currently earns £375,000 a week, but the Spaniard's contract will expire at the end of the season, and he will allegedly have to accept a substantial wage cut in order to remain at the club.
According to the Daily Mail, Man United have brought in the 'Ronaldo rule', which will see contracts capped at £200,000 a week in order to avoid jealously among the players.
The report claims that the Red Devils want to avoid certain individuals being paid significantly more than their teammates.
Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are all believed to earn in the region of £200,000 a week, while Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford could be offered similar packages.
Shaw is said to be willing to sign on those terms, but the club reportedly face a battle to convince Rashford to sign for £200,000 a week, as Paris Saint-Germain would be willing to double that salary.
Man United are said to be determined to avoid another situation where they have a player on £500,000 a week, which could potentially cause problems in the dressing room.
The Red Devils have won their last seven matches in all competitions, including a 3-1 victory over Everton in the FA Cup on Friday night to progress to the fourth round of the competition.
Man United will now take on Charlton Athletic in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening.
Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has said that "average" signings over the last few years have contributed to the club's problems since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure.
"Manchester United didn't exactly have the fear factor last season," Ten Hag told Voetbal International.
"I looked at the culture of the club. I asked 'How did Manchester United become great?' The club has bought an unimaginable number of players in recent years who have not been good enough.
"Most purchases have been average - and at United average is not good enough. United's shirt weighs heavily. Only real personalities, who can perform under great pressure, can play here.
"We needed personalities. That's why the acquisition of Casemiro was so important. Along with Raphael Varane, we now have a second player who has experience of winning titles.
"[Tyrell] Malacia, [Lisandro] Martinez, Casemiro, Antony are all fighters, while Christian Eriksen is a technical winner and a great personality. We want the best of the best. Any players we bring to Manchester United must meet the highest standard."
Man United are working to bring a new forward to the club this month, and Burnley's Wout Weghorst, who is currently on loan at Besiktas, has allegedly emerged as their leading target. body check tags ::
