Ten Hag and Man Utd told uncomfortable but obvious and unavoidable truth about Champions League

Man Utd ‘won’t be able to continue spending like this’ if they miss out on the Champions League again under Erik ten Hag, a football finance expert has said.

The 2024/25 season will feature no European football for Man Utd for the first campaign since Louis van Gaal’s first in 2014/15.

Man Utd have only been in the Champions League in five of the past nine seasons, with their most recent campaign the worst yet in the post-Ferguson era .

Two defeats in their opening three Premier League games of 2024/25 suggests another year without elite continental competition is on the cards and the financial ramifications are obvious.

Even if they thrive in the Europa League, for which they qualified by winning the FA Cup, it will do little to cover the shortfall of their Champions League absence.

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“Even if they win the Europa League, it’s still going to be worth nowhere near £100million. It’s not an easy trophy to win,” football finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider.

“Like Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham, United need to be in the Champions League. More than most clubs, United’s cost base assumes they are playing Champions League football. If they can’t get back in, they will have to start cutting back on spending.

“They won’t be able to, even though they’re a huge club and continue to outperform their rivals on the commercial side, continue spending like this.

“They’re very accomplished on the commercial side and have great brand appeal.

“But Champions League TV and prize money is very substantial and they have to have it.”

Man Utd posted ridiculous losses in their latest accounts but they insist the sort of PSR points deductions brought upon Nottingham Forest and Everton should be avoided.

Chief executive Omar Berrada said: “We are working towards greater financial sustainability and making changes to our operations to make them more efficient, to ensure we are directing our resources to enhancing on-pitch performance.

“Today we announce new guidance for fiscal 2025 which reflects a partial year impact of the transformative cost-savings and organisational changes that we have been busy implementing over the summer.

“Ultimately, the strength of Manchester United is driven by the passion and loyalty of our supporters. Our clear objective is to return the club to the top of European football.

“Everyone at the club is aligned on a clear strategy to deliver sustained success both on and off the pitch, for the ultimate benefit of our fans, shareholders, and hugely diverse range of stakeholders.”

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