How Cristiano Ronaldo's wages compare to Sheffield United's top earners as Blades match looms | OneFootball

We looked at how Cristiano Ronaldo's wages compare to some of Sheffield United's top earners ahead of the club's potential friendly against Al-Nassr.

Sheffield United are preparing for another season in the Championship after missing out on promotion to the Premier League.

Sheffield United looked to be in pole position to achieve automatic promotion in early April, but a late-season decline in form saw them end the campaign in third place, and they suffered further heartbreak as they were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland in the play-off final in May.

The defeat at Wembley marked the start of a summer of big changes at Bramall Lane, and the Blades made the controversial decision to replace popular manager Chris Wilder with Ruben Selles last month, with disagreements over the club's new data-driven recruitment model believed to have been a factor behind the 57-year-old's departure.

United have brought in two new signings this summer, with defender Tyler Bindon joining on loan from Nottingham Forest and winger Ehije Ukaki arriving from Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv, while midfielder Vini Souza has departed for Wolfsburg for a fee of £12.8 million.

As Selles and his squad continue their preparations for the new season, it seems a high-profile friendly could be on the cards that would see them face one of the world's biggest stars.

Sheffield United could be set for Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr pre-season clash

As they return from their training camp in Spain, Sheffield United's first pre-season friendly of the summer will take place on Tuesday night when they host last season's National League runners-up York City at the LNER Community Stadium.

That will be followed by trips to face League One duo Rotherham United and Burton Albion and League Two side Chesterfield over the coming weeks, but it appears there is space on the Blades' calendar for one more fixture before the new Championship campaign.

BBC Radio Sheffield journalist Rob Staton revealed last week that United are "exploring the possibility" of a friendly against Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, who have Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo on their books, but, unfortunately for supporters, if the club are able to arrange the game, it will not take place in the UK.

Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in December 2022 after his acrimonious exit from Manchester United, and he has scored 93 goals and provided 19 assists in just 105 appearances for the club over the past two-and-a-half years.

Despite now being 40 years of age, it is fair to say that Ronaldo, who won the Nations League with Portugal over the summer, is showing no signs of slowing down, and he recently signed an eye-watering new two-year contract with Al-Nassr.

As Sheffield United prepare to potentially take on Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr team-mates, we looked at how the forward's salary compares to the wages of some of the Blades' top earners.

As part of his new contract at Al-Nassr, Ronaldo will receive a salary of £3.4 million per week and £178 million per year, and there are plenty of bonuses built into the deal, including a £24.5 million signing bonus, which will increase to £38 million if he stays for the second year, an £80,000 bonus per goal, a £40,000 bonus per assist, an £8 million bonus if Al-Nassr win the title and a £4 million bonus if he wins the Golden Boot.

On top of that, Ronaldo will net a further £6.5 million if Al-Nassr qualify for the Asian Champions League and subsequently win the competition, while he has also been given a 15% stake in the club, 16 members of personal staff, including drivers, housekeepers, chefs and security, and £4 million of private jet expenses, as well as a guaranteed £60 million worth of sponsorship deals.

Of course, the financial packages on offer in the Championship are nowhere near what Ronaldo earns at Al-Nassr, but given their recent Premier League history, Sheffield United are one of the wealthiest clubs in the division.

According to Capology, the Blades' joint-highest paid players are goalkeeper Ivo Grbic, defender Anel Ahmedhodzic and midfielders Tom Davies and Gustavo Hamer, who all take home £30,000 per week and £1,560,000 per year, although it should be stressed that those figures are an estimate.

Striker Rhian Brewster was United's top earner last season, with the 25-year-old believed to have been on £35,000 per week and £1,820,000 per year, and while he is yet to commit his future to the club, it seems likely that if he accepts the contract offer that remains on the table for him, he will reclaim the title of highest-paid player.

The financial disparity between Sheffield United and Al-Nassr is underlined by the fact that the Blades' entire annual wage bill of £22,438,000 is around eight times less than Ronaldo's yearly salary alone, but they could soon find themselves coming up against the ex-Real Madrid star if the two clubs can agree a friendly.