Man Utd's wage budget is over 100 TIMES higher than FA Cup rival Newport County

This is an FA Cup in its truest sense. The titans of Manchester United heading to the humble home of Newport County at a sold-out Rodney Parade.

Sunday's clash is one of the standout ties of the FA Cup fourth round as the League Two side - placed 72 places below their Premier League counterparts - hoping to pull off a sensational giant killing and etch their names into history.

The differences between the two sides could not be bigger. With United's vast resources, facilities an world class players, they will be firmly brought down to earth when they arrive in County's old-school changing rooms with plaster peeling off the walls.

The tension is palpable in South Wales. Hundreds have been queuing outside the stadium in the last week to get their hands on a ticket. Newport manager Graham Coughlan labelled the upcoming match against the 20-time champions of England as 'the biggest game in the club's history.'

Ahead of this mammoth tie, Mail Sport takes a closer look at the clubs and their contrasting profiles on and off the pitch.

FA CUP HISTORY

Manchester United are heavyweights when it comes to the FA Cup. They boast an illustrious record, having lifted the trophy 12 times - second only to Arsenal's record of 14.

Remarkably, United have reached the final 21 times, making them the only club to achieve this feat in every decade since World War II, with their most recent triumph coming in 2016. when they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in extra-time at Wembley.

By contrast, Newport County last reached the FA Cup fifth round in 2019, losing to eventual champions Manchester City.

The year before that, they came agonisingly close to upsetting Tottenham in the fourth-round when a late Harry Kane equaliser denied them a famous giant-killing - before losing the replay.

Before then, you have to go back to 1949 before Newport last reached the Fifth Round after losing 3-2 at Portsmouth.

TROPHY COLLECTION

Manchester United's trophy cabinet is overflowing as one of the most successful football sides on the planet.

The Red Devils boast an incredible 67 titles, placing them just one behind rivals Liverpool.

The list includes a record 20 league titles, 12 FA Cup victories, five League Cups, three Champions League crowns, one Europa League and one European Cup Winners' Cup.

Newport County have won 14 trophies in total in competitions, many of which have come from the lower leagues.

That includes the Conference South, the FAW Premier Cup, and the Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup.

RECORD TRANSFER FEES

United are one of the biggest financial powerhouses in the world and they have not shied away from splashing the cash across the years.

The Red Devils have been in the headlines for laying out vast sums of money on a horde of high-profile players - with their record buy still Paul Pogba, who arrived for £89million from Juventus in 2016.

The club's prowess in the transfer market has been evident with their large spending in recent times and the club has spent more than £1.5 billion on transfers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in the summer of 2013.

Paul Pogba remains the most expensive player in United's history after joining from Juventus for £89m in the summer of 2016 - followed by their £82m deal for Ajax's Anthony in 2022 and the £80m spent on Leicester's Harry Maguire in 2019.

Meanwhile, Newport have incredibly not broken their record transfer since 1980.

County paid a a modest £80,000 paid for Alan Waddle in 1980 and since the club’s reforming in 1989, their highest fee has been the £30,000 paid for goalkeeper Joe Day.

TOP EARNERS

United's star-studded squad commands an enormous wage bill of £199.1m Brazilian midfielder Casemiro leads the pack, earning £350,000-a-week at Old Trafford.

The midfielder is closely followed by Raphael Varane on £340,000 and Marcus Rashford on £300,000.

Newport's own salary budget is a drop in the ocean compared to United's massive allocation of funds.

They have a modest annual player wage bill of around £1.39m, and defender Adam Lewis - on loan from Liverpool - is their highest earner at £3,500-a-week.

CLUB FINANCES

The two sides could differ any more when it comes to their financial clout.

Manchester United are one of the most commercially successful teams in the game, with the the backing of billionaires including the Glazers and new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The Red Devils posted a Premier League record revenue of £648.4m last season, but still made a loss of £42.1m. Their revenue is forecast to increase again this season due to the club’s participation in the Champions League.

Newport County's financial position has been unstable, however, with the club operating on one of the smallest budgets in League Two.

County recorded a loss of £1.2m for the financial year ending in June 2022, leading to a budget deficit of £393,634.

WORLDWIDE APPEAL

Manchester United are one of the most recognised and followed football clubs on planet Earth - so it's no surprise that their global fan base is estimated at 75m.

On social media, that's reflected too. The club has the third biggest social media following in the world, with 82m followers on Facebook, 37.5m on Twitter and 63m on Instagram.

Unsurprisingly, Newport have much a smaller social media presence with 81,700 Twitter followers, 62,000 on Facebook and 39,500 on Instagram respectively.

Newport have a loyal following and attracted their largest crowd of the season last weekend as 9,537 fans attended the Welsh derby against Wrexham at Rodney Parade.