Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Champions League qualificationplaceholder image
Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Champions League qualification | Getty Images
Man Utd have made it their mission to qualify for the Champions League this season under Michael Carrick.
United initially targeted a top-six finish in the Premier League this season, but have revised their ambition to earn Champions League qualification under Michael Carrick. They currently sit fourth in the league table after they recorded stunning victories over both Man City and Arsenal under their new head coach.
United know a top-four finish will guarantee a return to the top continental club competition, but as things stand, a top-five finish would also be enough based on Uefa coefficient rankings. Every season, additional qualification places are handed out to the two leagues with the highest ranking. As things stand, one of them will be the Premier League after Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Man City qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League and Newcastle reached the play-off round.
Read More
How much Champions League qualification is worth
Manchester United not only want to qualify for the Champions League to achieve sporting success, but also because of the huge financial boost it would provide the club. Last year, it was estimated United missed out on a minimum £100 million after they failed to qualify for the Champions League following their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
In terms of competition revenue, a place in the league phase is worth a guaranteed £16 million, with each win worth a further £1.8m. A draw earns £600,000, and each additional place in the final league table is worth a further £800,000.
Tonight's results significantly strengthen the prospect of the Premier League gaining an additional Champions League spot this season.
As things stand, fifth place would also guarantee a place in the competition #mufc pic.twitter.com/myOlGyKkCL
— Rich Fay (@RichFay) January 28, 2026
United would also benefit from hosting a minimum of four more home matches. It is estimated they earn £4.3m per home game, which would earn them a further £17.2m at the very least. When you add in the additional commercial and sponsorship bonuses from playing in the competition, United could easily earn £100m from even a bad performance in the tournament.
As things stand, all nine Premier League clubs are still involved in European competition, with Aston Villa already through to the Europa League last 16 and Nottingham Forest assured of a play-off berth at the minimum. Crystal Palace have already reached the Conference League last-16 where they will face Bosnian side Zrinjski.
Continue Reading