Manchester United transfer budget explained: Ruben Amorim has money to spend - but a poor season could lead to early summer sales

Manchester United could be forced to work with a diminished summer budget.

The Red Devils - who take on Southampton this week as the Premier League resumes - are expecting a busy summer window with at least eight to nine exits already being touted by experts.

New head coach Ruben Amorim is earning early plaudits after a string of recent results but given the Premier League is already 20 games old, there is still a whole lot of work for Manchester United to do both on and off the pitch in 2025.

Manchester United's budget could be SLASHED in the summer due to no European football

It remains clear to most that Amorim will be tasked with ensuring Manchester United gain qualification to European football next season. Going without for a club of United's stature could prove pivotal in regard to their summer transfer plans.

It is no secret how poor the club's recruit has been in recent years but with an onus on once again overhauling an ageing squad at Old Trafford, replacing them with young-affordable talent remains the biggest balance to strike.

"It’s a long window, so we shouldn't discount out Manchester United incomings," said journalist Ben Jacobs when asked by FourFourTwo on January 13 about Amorim's desire for player arrivals in January. "It's just a case of picking the right ones rather than any kind of panic-buying – and also budget, too.

"So it's not quite ‘one in, one out’ because Manchester United, for Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) purposes, do have the front half of the summer window to navigate exits if they feel they need to balance the books, but they certainly won't want to be splashing significant cash in January, even though there's a desire to back Ruben Amorim if the right targets are available.

"Also, to an extent with PSR in mind, and it's a lot easier to move in the summer if you know you've got European or Champions League football," continued Jacobs.

"But right now that's looking very doubtful for Manchester United: they have to factor that in, that they're not on track as of now for Champions League football, and we know that come summer, if that's the case, the budget will be diminished compared to if they do finish the season strongly."

So who could leave in the summer at Manchester United?

Manchester United are likely to say goodbye to a whole host of players in 2025, starting with the obvious names that are out of contract. Victor Lindelof, Christian Eriksen, Tom Heaton and Jonny Evans are all likely to not be extended this summer.

Casemiro, Antony, Altay Bayindir, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Joshua Zirkzee and Luke Shaw could all leave too in what would be a summer overhaul at the Theatre of Dreams, with INEOS recently stating no player is safe due to United's needs to comply with the Premier League's PSR rules.