United have lost four games in a row and are 14th in the Premier League, just seven points above the relegation zone. Manager Ruben Amorim needs reinforcements but will find it difficult to make any new signings this month due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules unless the club sells players.
Where does the difficulty come from?
In September 2024, United announced a loss of £113m for the 2023-24 season, despite record revenues. Last season, the Red Devils played in the Champions League but this year they are only playing in the Europa League, so the prize money received is significantly less.
UEFA’s increase in the number of group stage and play-off matches will help boost revenue for clubs. However, as things stand, United will almost certainly miss out on next season’s Champions League, and even a place in the Europa League will be difficult. They are already 13 points behind the top four. If they don’t cut costs now, the club could fall foul of financial regulations.
That's why billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been trying to cut costs since taking over the club, with United even dropping Sir Alex Ferguson's ambassadorial role and raising ticket prices to £66 despite laying off hundreds of staff in the summer.
But those efforts failed to make up for the money the Red Devils lost in compensation. They spent around £3m on sporting director Dan Ashworth from Newcastle, only to sack him a few months later.
United also had to pay compensation to Southampton for the signing of technical director Jason Wilcox. Former manager Erik ten Hag was paid around £17m after being sacked. They also had to pay £8m to release manager Ruben Amorim from his contract at Sporting CP. All of these payments are included in FFP.
How can Man United buy new players?
United spent £206m on five signings in the summer, leaving them in a difficult position this month. It’s a familiar story in the last three January transfer windows, but this time it’s worse, as they have no money to buy players unless they sell some of their squad.
Selling Marcus Rashford is now seen as the most feasible option, as his future is no longer guaranteed under Amorim. Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans are also in a similar situation. But it will be difficult to sell any of this defensive trio as they are all experienced players and difficult to replace.
Another name to consider is Christian Eriksen, whose contract expires in the summer, meaning January will be the Red Devils' last chance to raise a fee for the Danish midfielder.
Coach Ruben Amori himself admitted that he had to try to improve the available personnel. He said after the defeat to Newcastle on December 30: "We don't have that ability (to buy more players) in January. You probably know the situation better than me. It's not like I came here and could spend a lot of money to change the team. You all know the situation so there's no point in talking about transfers."
