Sir Jim Ratcliffe embraces Ruben Amorim after the Europa League final.
Ruben Amorim (centre) has convinced Manchester United to back out of talks with Amazon.
Most Manchester United supporters would have loved to have been a fly on the dressing room wall at various junctures last season.
Experiencing their worst season in 51 years, United slumped to a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League, meaning they will not participate in any European competition for the first time in a decade in 2025/26.
Despite making the decision to sack Erik ten Hag in October and replace him with Ruben Amorim just a few days later, United never recovered from a summer that saw the hierarchy dawdle and fail to address their most pressing needs in the transfer market.
The season featured a catalogue of woes that every United supporter will wish to forget as quickly as possible. The hope and expectation is that next season will be much better.
And if Amazon had had their way, they would have had every angle covered. Just as they had done with Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in previous years, they wanted to produce an access-all-areas documentary to offer an insight into what goes on behind the scenes at one of the world's biggest sporting institutions.
However, according to a report published by The Athletic on Monday, secret talks between United and Amazon have been shelved after head coach Amorim expressed fears that it could distract his players.
It has been reported that Amazon's offer 'was significantly more than £10million', meaning United would have banked the largest ever payment for an 'All or Nothing' series.
It is claimed Amorim, who has just embarked on his first pre-season as United head coach, was 'not comfortable with potential intrusion on the first-team'. The documentary would have followed every aspect of the Reds' 2025/26 campaign, meaning team meetings, dressing room exchanges and much, much more would have been under the spotlight.
Every football supporter, regardless of who they support, is guilty and wanting to know about every nook and cranny that goes on inside the corridors of their club, meaning a United documentary would have been insightful. On the flip side, however, it would have opened the door for further ridicule if United were to struggle again next season.
Ruben Amorim wants full focus on matters on the pitch. (Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images.)
Having failed to qualify for next season's Champions League, United have missed out on several important revenue streams. A successful Champions League campaign can be worth more than £100m, factoring in prize money, gate receipts, sponsorship deals and various other means.
As a result of losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, United's transfer budget this summer is not as big as what it would have otherwise been, meaning they are having to box clever in this summer's window. Progress has been slow thus far, reflected in the Reds' tally of just two new arrivals, and player sales are key to funding new additions.
With that in mind, the chance to bank more than £10m would have had United's decision makers licking their lips. Every cash injection, however big or small, will be welcomed with open arms this summer.
However, United find themselves walking a fine line between the financial side and the sporting side of the operation. The club's hierarchy knows Amorim has got to oversee a serious improvement next season and it is evident the Portuguese chief believes his players will have a better chance of helping the club climb the table without a TV crew following their every move.
To have adhered to Amorim's request shows that United's decision makers are in full support of the former Sporting Lisbon boss. They have put plenty of trust in him and this decision only strengthens their case to show they are backing him in every possible way.
Ensuring everyone is on the same page is a strong recipe for success, and it is vital for any head coach to have the backing of those above him in the chain of command.
The fact United's top brass have backed out of a deal that would have brought in much-needed funds, to ensure Amorim is more comfortable with hopefully overseeing a season of progress, can only be considered as a positive on the sporting side of the operation.
Amorim clearly felt the timing was all wrong for a documentary to be manufactured and his concerns have been noted.