Manchester United’s Michael Carrick gamble looks likely to give them that sweet UEFA Champions League money, but Man City’s 115 charges are still costing them immensely.
Due to the performance of other English teams in Europe, it’s likely that even fifth place in the Premier League will mean UCL qualification.
As it stands, Man Utd are third, and they will want to finish as high as possible because that also affects the prize money.
For a club that’s not in very good financial condition, every penny matters, so they will be frustrated that their Manchester rivals are taking money out of the Premier League’s pocket.
Michael Carrick celebrates at full-time with Benjamin Sesko during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Manchester United’s ALARMING transfer debt
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Chart depicting Manchester United's transfer debt
Manchester United transfer debt table Credit: Adam Williams/United in Focus/GRV Media
How Man City’s charges are costing Man Utd money
United in Focus spoke to GRV Media’s Head of Football Finance and Governance, Adam Williams, about the financial boost that comes with finishing third vs finishing fifth.
Williams explained that it comes to about £6m, which, in isolation, isn’t that much, especially compared to the UCL boost that comes with it.
However, central payments from the league are shrinking because the Premier League is increasingly spending more money to fight City on the 115 charges.
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Williams said: “The difference between finishing 1st or in the last Champions League spot is negligible in terms of the prize money on offer.
“If United finish 3rd, they’ll get £165-170m in prize money. We can’t be exactly sure because it depends on the precise value of the Premier League’s international TV deals, which vary from season to season.
“If United finish 3rd, they’ll get up to £6m more than if they finished 5th. [Additional £3m for each place]
“Central payments from the Premier League shrank by about £15m last season because of increased costs at the league’s offices – and the majority of that is legal fees associated with the Manchester City case.
“I’ve seen a document that the Premier League sent to clubs that shows legal costs of £44.6m in 2024-25. That means United’s earnings last season would have been at least £2m higher if it wasn’t for the City case, as well as the other PSR stuff and a handful of other events.”
United need to control the controllable
It will be of immense frustration to United that the Premier League is effectively spending the money that would be theirs to prove City are engaging in anti-competitive practices.
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Small details like £2m last season, or £6m this season, add up at the end of the season to make a big number, which, in United’s case, means more due to their financial situation.
However, they cannot afford to get distracted by what’s not in their control, and that includes Premier League spending out of its central payment pool to fight City.
What they can do is try to win every game possible to finish as high as possible, and the rest will take care of itself.
They must strive to get themselves in a position where outside factors can only knock them down, not knock them out.
Carrick has made a great start towards doing that. Now it just needs to continue till the end of the season as the first short-term objective.
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