Manchester United's 2024/25 Premier League season has been below expectations, with manager Rúben Amorim failing to extract the expected performance from the squad following the sacking of Erik ten Hag. After the defeat to Newcastle in the last game of 2024, Amorim spoke for the first time about the fight against relegation and opened up about how it could affect the club in the future.
Manchester United now realizing the financial impacts of possible relegation
In the event of Manchester United's relegation to the Championship, the club will see very considerable reductions in television broadcasting revenue (£222 million in the 2023/24 Premier League season). In addition, the club would also be considerably impacted financially by the lack of participation in European tournaments, which have brought in £55.4 million over the last three years.
Adidas contract could be cut by up to 50 per cent
However, no financial reduction would be as significant as the possible loss of the sponsorship contract with Adidas, with a reduction of up to 50 per cent in the annual £90 million paid to Manchester United. Commercial partnerships with training shirt and sleeve sponsorships (which expire in 2025) will also be vulnerable.
The only guaranteed contract would be with Snapdragon (£180 million), valid for another three years. According to a report on The Athletic, all other contracts would be subject to renegotiation due to relegation clauses.
Old Trafford refurbishment complications
Relegation would also have a significant impact on the refurbishment of Old Trafford, with the possibility of the project being put on hold. Jim Ratcliffe estimates that the project would cost at least £2 billion, but the cost of this figure depends heavily on constant finance and revenue, which would be severely diminished by playing in the Championship.