Balancing the finances at Manchester United has been a top priority for Ineos since their takeover of the club.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has spoken frequently about the financial troubles at Manchester United, including a claim that the club was going bust by the end of 2025.
Ruthless cost-cutting measures, including mass job cuts at Old Trafford and Carrington, have unfortunately been a common feature under Ineos ownership, and the lack of on-pitch success has only made matters worse.
A 15th-placed finish in the Premier League was the worst in the club’s history, and defeat in the Europa League final means United missed out on over £100m from Champions League qualification.
Raising funds has been a top priority for Ineos, but head coach Ruben Amorim recently stepped in to stop a club documentary from going ahead.
Manchester United during a press conference in Hong Kong
Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Manchester United via Getty Images
Kieran Maguire on Man United’s rejected club documentary
Earlier this week it was revealed that United turned down an Amazon documentary similar to the ‘All or Nothing’ series done with other Premier League clubs.
According to The Athletic, United withdrew from talks despite the deal being worth more than £10 million. It has since been reported that Amorim was the leading factor in why United turned down the deal.
United in Focus’ Adam Williams spoke exclusively to football finance expert Kieran Maguire about the deal, and he suggests United may have dodged potential trouble.
More United News
“Man United effectively got that £10m fee from the pre-season tour of Asia,” Maguire said.
“Players already feel there are too many demands on them, and it’s the same for managers, so there won’t have been any appetite for this. Given that Man United is presently quite a fractured club given the aggressive management style of Ineos, it’s probably the right decision.
“Having the cameras seeing some people without smiles on their faces at Carrington wouldn’t have been a good look.
“I’m intrigued by this because Ineos are revenue maximisers – I thought they would want the £10m provided they have a significant degree of editorial control.
“That could have been one of the sticking points, that the producers of the show wanted more control and Ratcliffe and his people weren’t keen on that. It could quite easily have done £10m worth of damage.”
Ruben Amorim wants no distractions at Man United
After a poor start as head coach last season, Amorim knows what is at stake in 2025/26 – including his own job.
United have a tough start in the Premier League and need to hit the ground running. Amorim has set strict deadlines in pre-season to ensure his players hit the ground running.
The last thing needed is extra distractions, and that is what the documentary would be.
READ MORE: Man United set new deadline for £2bn stadium as Ineos target 2035 World Cup host spot
Ineos have backed Amorim and decided to turn the deal down, and they will need to continue to show faith in him as United begin their latest rebuilding project.
A documentary further down the line could be on the cards, but for now all focus should be on improving on last season’s terrible league finish.