Best thing for a club like us to do that is underperforming and plateauing at unacceptable levels, despite already being elite when it comes to PL wages, to stop it getting out of control, is heavily incentivise the current players next contracts. If you win a league or CL you automatically go into a higher wage bracket. Weekly bonus for Goals and assists, large part of any deal is based on making actual appearances, clean sheets, motm, impress the manager behind the scenes most improved player of the week bonus etc
I think that would buck things up around here and keep the basic wage at around the same level.
expensive squad players wouldn’t be sticking around half as long. Use those spaces on talented youth on breakthrough money. Start letting go of players earlier for bigger money. Like an actual business not a crumbling football museum