Manchester United have finally cranked their summer spending into gear in 2020.

It was widely expected that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would open his wallet in order to transform the Red Devils from Champions League qualifiers to contenders for the Premier League title.

And United took their first steps towards making that transition by signing Donny van de Beek from Ajax for around £40 million this week.

Van de Beek at United

The Dutchman has joined the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech in leaving the Eredivisie champions since their memorable Champions League run in 2018/19.

It leaves United boasting one of the finest midfields in England's top flight with Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Fred all competing for a place in Solskjaer's central three.

It remains to be seen whether Van de Beek will lead a midfield trio as he did in Amsterdam, scoring 14 goals and bagging seven assists, or drop further back while Fernandes pulls the strings.

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Man Utd looking stronger

Either way, it gives Solskjaer an incredibly positive headache coming into the 2020/21 season and the exact squad depth that he was talking about after their Europa League elimination.

It also gives United fans a clear cause for optimism that, if they can sign a top centre-back like Dayot Upamecano and the long-touted Jadon Sancho, they can start challenging Liverpool again.

But one of the most interesting facts that could emerge from the Van de Beek deal is his wages because United have one of the most uneven pay structures in the Premier League.

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Van de Beek to earn £107k-a-week

The Red Devils dished out a slew of new contracts after Solskjaer became their permanent head coach and David de Gea's world-record deal for a goalkeeper undoubtedly caused a stir.

Well, according to De Telegraaf, Van de Beek will be pocketing €120,000-a-week at Old Trafford, which is equivalent to £107,000-a-week, making him the club's 12th highest earner.

That's because The Sun revealed United's wage structure earlier this month after Dean Henderson signed a new deal, so you can check out the new rankings now that Van de Beek has arrived:

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Man Utd's 2020/21 wages

28. Timothy Fosu-Mensah - £15,000-a-week

27. Axel Tuanzebe - £15,000-a-week

26. Diogo Dalot - £25,000-a-week

25. Andreas Pereira - £30,000-a-week

24. Lee Grant - £30,000-a-week

23. Mason Greenwood - £40,000-a-week

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22. Daniel James - £45,000-a-week

21. Scott McTominay - £60,000-a-week

20. Sergio Romero - £70,000-a-week

19. Chris Smalling - £70,000-a-week

18. Jesse Lingard - £75,000-a-week

17. Phil Jones - £75,000-a-week

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16. Marcos Rojo - £80,000-a-week

15. Aaron Wan-Bissaka - £90,000-a-week

14. Dean Henderson - £100,000-a-week

13. Bruno Fernandes - £100,000-a-week

12. Donny van de Beek - £107,000-a-week

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11. Nemanja Matic - £120,000-a-week

10. Victor Lindelof - £120,000-aweek

9. Fred - £120,000-a-week

8. Odion Ighalo - £125,000-a-week

7. Luka Shaw - £150,000-a-week

6. Juan Mata - £160,000-a-week

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5. Harry Maguire - £189,000-a-week

4. Marcus Rashford - £200,000-a-week

3. Anthony Martial - £250,000-a-week

2. Paul Pogba - £290,000-a-week

1. David de Gea - £350,000-a-week

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GIVEMESPORT's Kobe Tong says

There's some strange details in United's wage structure, isn't there?

On the one hand, I'm sure Van de Beek will be delighted that he's reportedly collecting a bigger pay packet than Fernandes and Wan-Bissaka, but it's bizarre to think Ighalo and Mata will pocket more.

United could clearly do their finances a massive favour if they get Mata, who hasn't been at his best for two or three seasons now, off their wage bill along with the likes of Rojo, Lingard and Smalling.

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But it's worth saying that Van de Beek has more than doubled his money regardless of where he ranks amongst the United squad having reportedly earned about £40,000-a-week at Ajax.

And if anything, given the player's quality, seeing him sit in 12th place in the standings means that the Red Devils will only get more bang for their bucks this season. Let's see what he can do...