Manchester United Manager Salaries Since Sir Alex: Cost to Points Breakdown
Since Manchester United said goodbye to Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, club went into chaotic period which not many saw it coming. With 26 years of stability turned into manager merry go round starting with David Moyes 10 month tenure.
We breakdown how much United have spent on manager salaries and compensation since Sir Alex and what value they got in return in terms of points and trophies.
| Manager | Total Cost (£) | Total Points | Cost per Point (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rúben Amorim | £28.5m | 62 | £459,500 |
| José Mourinho | £50m | 176 | £284,000 |
| Erik ten Hag | £33.5m | 146 | £229,500 |
| David Moyes | £11.5m | 57 | £200,000 |
| Louis van Gaal | £22m | 136 | £132,500 |
| Ole Gunnar Solskjær | £22.5m | 197 | £114,200 |
What this ranking clearly shows:
➤ Amorim is in a category of his own - worst value per point in United’s modern history
➤ Mourinho is expensive, but trophies and UCL qualification soften the damage
➤ Solskjær quietly delivered the best value, despite zero trophies.
Starting with David Moyes, who was appointed on a six-year contract in 2013 with a base salary of £4.5 million per year, plus bonuses based on team success. He lasted only 10 months at United, with the club having to pay around £7 million in compensation. He won 57 points, with the average cost per point coming to around £200,000.
Louis van Gaal followed Moyes, signing a three-year (2014/17) contract and spending two years at the club. His salary was reported to be around £6 million per year, plus bonuses. When he was sacked, United still had one year remaining on his contract.
In total, he cost United around £22 million and earned 136 league points, resulting in a cost of approximately £132,500 per point.
José Mourinho, arguably the most successful manager since Sir Alex, was appointed on a three-year contract (2016/19) with a base salary of £12 million per year. In January 2018, his contract was extended until 2020 with an increased salary of £15 million per year.
In total, he cost United close to £50 million in salary and compensation but won 176 league points, averaging £284,000 per point. However, he qualified for the Champions League twice and won both the League Cup and Europa League, which somewhat offsets his higher cost-per-point figure compared to other managers.
➤ Jose Mourinho Salary Profile
Ole Gunnar Solskjær was initially appointed as interim manager but was later handed a permanent contract in March 2019 on three-year (2019–22) deal worth £7.5 million per year, including team-based bonuses. He lasted around three years at United, earning 197 league points. His total cost-to-points ratio comes to approximately £114,200 per point.
➤ Ole Gunnar Solskjær Salary Profile
Erik ten Hag was appointed as United manager in April 2022 on a three-year contract until 2025. His base salary was reported to be £7.5 million per year, plus performance-related bonuses. In July 2024, his contract was extended until 2026 on the same salary terms.
He was sacked in November 2024, walking away with £14.5 million in compensation and a total cost of around £33.5 million. He earned 146 league points during his tenure, costing United approximately £229,500 per point.
Rúben Amorim joined United on a two-and-a-half-year contract until 2027 in November 2024. His base salary was reported to be £6.5 million per year, but in terms of performance, he is by far the worst manager in United’s history, earning only 62 league points during his 14-month stay at the club. His total cost, including compensation, is around £28.5 million, which comes to £459,500 per point.