Manchester United are in the driving seat for Champions League football right now, which would be a massive financial boost for the club.
12 months on from Sir Jim Ratcliffe saying Manchester United could go broke, the financial situation at the club has continued to be perilous.
No Europe this season has left the club in a bad position, and really, a return to Continental competition next season is pivotal for the club to continue building upon this campaign and allow for United to commit heavy spending in the summer.
But how much would securing a seat at Europe’s top table give United? United in Focus’ football finance expert, Adam Williams.
Here’s a look at how the table currently stands… where will United finish?
Manchester United’s potential Champions League financial package revealed
Champions League football is the most lucrative competition for clubs in Europe, with PSG earning a reported £125m last season for winning the competition. With around £16m worth of winnings available for clubs in the league phase alone through wins.
But how much can United expect, all things considered, by returning to the Champions League, Williams explains.
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“There are a lot of variables when you’re looking at how much United might earn from a season in the Champions League. Ultimately, it comes down to how deep into the competition they go.
“However, United do benefit from having relatively strong five and 10-year UEFA coefficients and the fact that the UK’s Champions League TV deal is the biggest. Both of those factors count towards UEFA’s value pillar, which is the system that the organisation use to calculate the lion’s share of prize money from the competition before a ball has even been kicked.
“The value pillar plus the flat participation fee that all clubs receive would probably be worth in the region of £50m to United. So in a worst-case scenario where they qualify for the Champions League but lose every single league phase game, that’s how much they’d get.
“You also add in a minimum of four matchdays at Old Trafford, the bonus from Adidas, and so on – and that probably gets you to at least £80m.”
Champions League qualification is vital for United, which in turn gives the Red Devils money to ensure next season is even better.
How many points will Man Utd get from the three games in April? Let us know your predictions!
Starting with a home match vs Leeds when we return!
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Manchester United qualification is just the start
This figure of £80m for United is before a ball is even kicked, and if United crash out of the league phase.
Meaning it could get even better with wins adding £1.8m each and each round, bringing bigger payments.
There is also a dream scenario financially, should United somehow win the competition, as Williams explains.
“Remember, that’s a worst case. In a best-case scenario where you win the Champions League, qualify for the Super Cup, and gain entry to the revamped Club World Cup, you can genuinely be looking at revenues approaching £300m.
“So clearly the actual figure is going to be somewhere between those two amounts and likely much, much closer to the lower end, but that’s the range of money on offer.”
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