Manchester United have endured a torrid start to the 2024/25 season, with Sunday’s poor defeat at home to Tottenham their third Premier League loss so far.
The Red Devils sit 12th in the table and are in the midst of their joint-worst start of the Premier League era, following a campaign which saw them finish eighth in the table last season.
That has seen the pressure crank up on manager Erik ten Hag, following a summer of speculation over his long-term future in the job, with the club knowing that another season of struggle will hit the club financially.
Manchester United could be hit with Adidas blow
The Red Devils’ failure to qualify for the Champions League last season comes after the club have lost £254.7million over the previous three years and should they miss out on a place Europe’s premier club competition again this year, they will face a new set of challenges.
The Times report that the club would be hit by a £10million penalty clause in their sponsorship deal with Adidas being invoked for 2025/26, with the same clause applying for any future seasons they are not in the Champions League.
As well as this clause, missing out on the Champions League and subsequent broadcasting and matchday revenue makes a huge difference to the club’s accounts. Manchester United were able to generate £93.1million from their run to the quarter-finals in 2018/19, while their 2022/23 Europea League campaign saw this future drop to £37.5million.
The Times also add that another season out of the Champions League would also mean a fresh headache for the club when it comes to meeting UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
This report comes after Ten Hag bemoaned the ‘financial restrictions’ that the club was under prior to the Tottenham defeat, with the Dutchman highlighting the club’s need to play young players and calling for patience.
This comes after the club spent £200million on new players this summer, while reports in the media have suggested that the club will not rush into a hasty decision over the manager’s future, due to the fact that they would have to pay £17.5million in compensation if they decide to swing the axe.
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In FourFourTwo's view, it is clear that a club the size of Manchester United should be playing Champions League football each and every year, but their poor transfer tactics in recent seasons are coming home to roost.
Clauses such as this Adidas one are commonplace in football and should the club miss out on a Champions League place it will be interesting to see what approach is taken by both the Old Trafford heirarchy and by UEFA and Premier League authorities.
