Utd wage bill soars to £121million

By TONY LITTLE

MANCHESTER UNITED’S wage bill was a massive £121million last year — an increase of £29m.

The 30 per cent rise comes after improved deals for Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

United’s Premier League and Champions League Double last season saw them splash £13.3m in bonuses, compared to £8.6m the previous year.

Chief executive David Gill is United’s best-paid non-playing or non-coaching employee on £1.7m a year.

The champions are still second in the big spenders table with Chelsea’s bill at £148m — a rise of 12 per cent.

United boss Alex Ferguson admits Real Madrid’s continued pursuit of Ronaldo has affected his performance on the field.

The build-up to the 2-2 Champions League quarter-final draw with Porto was dominated by fresh reports of a Ronaldo move — something Fergie branded as “pathetic”.

But Ferguson says being honest with the player has kept his focus.

The Scot said: “He’s lucky in the sense that people here can be straight with him and he appreciates that — he has responded to that.”

Ferguson also praised Ronaldo for realising when he had overstepped the line in his tentative courting of Real.

The boss added: “If it changes him as a person then you have a problem.

“Fortunately Ronaldo knows when he’s gone too far and he draws back in after that.”