Manchester United have only one route left to secure European football next season
Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC at Old Trafford on November 3, 2024 in Manchester, United Kingdom
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United should prioritise winning the Europa League this season to ease financial concerns and help secure summer signings, believes football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
A specialist in the accountancy and finances of football, Maguire said that qualifying for the Champions League would be transformative for United off the pitch. The Europa League is the only realistic route into Europe for United, who are 13th in the Premier League table and out of the FA Cup.
A place at the top table of European football would also allow United to open the chequebook in the summer and spend money to help reshape Ruben Amorim's squad, according to Maguire. Speaking on The Overlap, he was asked whether Champions League football was imperative for Manchester United to spend in the summer.
“Champions League is transformative," said Maguire. "Because you’ve got those guarantees of money coming in, you’ve also got in the case of Manchester United, the sponsor bonuses which will kick in for those company’s products being alongside that Champions League song and the big night.
“So, Manchester United’s commercial department will be able to name their own price when the group stages kick in. It is without doubt the most important thing that the club should be concentrating on for the rest of the season from a financial point of view.”
This is the opinion of the majority of Manchester United fans from a footballing perspective. With the club 13th in the Premier League and out of the FA Cup, the Europa League is last chance saloon for European football.
It comes against the backdrop of Ratcliffe's concerning comments around the lack of cash at the club. Last month he admitted there is "no money left in the club".
United recently announced they had lost more than £300million over the past three years, highlighting their financial troubles. The club described the situation as "not sustainable".
United have made cost-cutting measures across the board since Ineos secured a minority stake last year, including cutting the workforce by 250 people last year. Another 200 staff could leave in the latest round of cuts.
Despite United's financial picture, Ratcliffe is confident things will improve, insisting United believe they will be the "most profitable football club in the world" in three years' time. And Maguire does not believe the numbers preclude a summer of spending at Old Trafford.
He added: “How much could they spend? People are forgetting that Manchester United actually spent £251 million this season that appears to go under the radar," added Maguire.
“They will have some players out of contract, they are not in any financial problems. That (running out of money by Christmas) was done for the cameras, rather than anything else. They are Manchester United, they’re a huge brand."
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