Manchester United's loss against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final will have catastrophic effects for a number of reasons - but the calibre of players they won't be able to attract to the club without Champions League football on the horizon may just be their biggest one.
The defeat in Bilbao means that there won't be European football at Old Trafford for the first time in 11 years, when David Moyes' side finished seventh in the top-flight to miss out on their continental travels - and that, by virtue, will rule out various transfer targets in the coming months.
Four Targets Man Utd Will Miss Out on After Europa League Loss
The Red Devils will see their list of shortlisted targets diminish
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim on the touchline
A lack of revenue, a missed opportunity at silverware and handing Premier League rivals Tottenham their first major honour in 17 years are all poor aspects of the loss, especially with United currently occupying 17th in the league - but various players now won't want to join the club after their failed efforts.
Manchester United's Premier League statistics - Division squad ranking
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One such player is Liam Delap. A report by ESPN earlier in the week stated Delap's future was to become clear after the clash in northern Spain, with Chelsea also thought to be in the running - and that the result would determine his future destination, given that he is expected to leave Ipswich Town once the season comes to a close.
But the loss on Wednesday has likely tipped him closer to Stamford Bridge, despite being United's 'priority' target earlier in the window, and that precedent is set to follow for other targets.
Another striker could be down the pan in Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede has just had the season of his career for Sporting, scoring an incredible 39 goals in just 33 Primeira Liga games to win the title on the final day for the Lisbon-based outfit - and that, of course, ensures their qualification to Europe's premier cup competition.
A report by Portuguese outlet A Bola in April suggested that Gyokeres has made his own shortlist of clubs that he would like to be a part of, and United weren't on that list as a result. Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona were among the clubs named, but he is keen on playing in the Champions League and United simply cannot offer him that any more.
Victor Osimhen is another who is likely to snub the club as a result of this season's failures. With the Napoli striker having spent this season on loan at Galatasaray, manager Okan Buruk can promise Osimhen that he will at least play in the Champions League next season if he stays in Istanbul - and either a return to Italy, continuation of his time in Turkey or a move to another Champions League club is likely to blossom in the coming weeks.
The search goes without strikers; Rayan Cherki is set to be massively in-demand this summer, and United are thought to have a strong interest in landing him from Lyon. But despite Sky Sports Germany stating that the Red Devils held talks with the Ligue 1 club over the French playmaker, the result of the final may still play a role in his decision, and other clubs could be tempted to make their move - whilst Xavi Simons may also be in the same boat, with the RB Leipzig star looking for a move to the competition's eligible teams after they failed to qualify via the Bundesliga table.
Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha's decision isn't likely to be impacted in a rare shining light for the Red Devils, but that could see the Brazilian be one of just a handful of signings before sales are made.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 22-05-25.
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