Manchester United have been able to spend heavily during the transfer window, despite not managing to sell a single player.
When Manchester United lost the Europa League Final, it was viewed as a critical moment for the club from a sporting and financial sense.
For just the second time in three decades, United are not playing any European football at all in 2025-26.
United remain as attractive as ever, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all turning down rival clubs to sign for the Red Devils.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe added a cash injection that has benefited United financially, but there is also another aspect that has actually made business more straightforward.
New signings Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Diego Leon and Matheus Cunha pose for a photo while holding match shirts prior to the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and Fiorentina at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images
UEFA rules more complicated
Manchester United have spent a combined £194 million on Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko, more than anybody anticipated without player sales.
Speaking to Beyond The Back Four, finance expert Kieran Maguire says that missing out on European football may have actually helped United, freeing them from UEFA’s financial constraints.
Maguire said: “Manchester United do have some capacity to spend in the current window, ironically, they’ve got the benefits from not playing in UEFA competitions this year.
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“The UEFA rules are actually probably far more difficult to comply with, and that’s why we’re seeing some other clubs at Villa, Arsenal and so on, trying to balance some of their affairs.”
United have been attempting to sell Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia, so far without success.
Marcus Rashford was loaned out to Barcelona in a move that saved United on his salary, without providing the large player sale United wanted.
Next year United aim to be back in Europe, but must earn it through performances on the pitch, and this season is not off to the best start after two games.
Kobbie Mainoo exit a possibility
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo did not play in either of the two opening games of the Premier League season.
Mainoo is considering an exit, while uncertainty over his contract situation lingers in the background.
Maguire said: “There’s a big financial benefit to Manchester United in Mainoo, because he’s clearly a very talented player.”
But when it comes to United failing to sell their stars, Maguire believes the club’s ‘bomb squad’ strategy has backfired.
He said: “I think the downside is that, because there are four or five players who have been marginalized at the club, what we are seeing is some potential buying clubs leaving things to the last minute because they know that the player is unlikely to come back into the squad, and therefore they’re using that as a negotiating chip to drive down the price.
“[It’s] something I think he’s perhaps Manchester United might have shot themselves in the foot there.”