Manchester United have revealed the true cost of sacking Erik ten Hag and hiring Ruben Amorim, highlighting the need for the new head coach to work with what he’s got for the club to abide by profit and sustainability regulations (PSR).
The United quarterly accounts published this week revealed Ten Hag severance costs of £10.4m after the Dutchman was sacked just four months after being handed a new contract in the summer.
And the Red Devils chiefs then decided to pay Sporting the compensation required to hire Amorim, with an extra £1m paid on top of the £10m buyout clause so that the Portuguese boss didn’t need to see out his full notice and could move to Old Trafford at the start of the international break earlier this month.
The £10.4m to sack Ten Hag also included pay-offs to other members of his staff, with the costs important as – just like player signings and wages – they will count towards United’s compliance with PSR.
Various reports since Amorim’s appointment have claimed the new manager will have a small budget – if any at all – to improve his squad in January, with the club bosses instead urging him to nurture the untapped talent already available to him.
It means they will likely lose battles with rival clubs looking to sign players in January, like Manchester City, who – along with United – have been targeted by Juventus sporting director Cristiano Guintoli as a possible landing spot a midfielder as they want to raise cash to reinvest in other areas of the squad, according to reports in Italy.
Guintoli is said to have travelled with the team for their clash with Aston Villa and planned to then stop off in Manchester to talk to both United and City about possible player sales.
Fagioli – who’s started just four Serie A games for Juventus this season and is valued at €20m by Transfermarkt – is thought to be the player Guintoli is pimping around Manchester, while former Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz is another midfielder up for grabs as Juve want funds to sign a centre-back and a striker.
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Guintoli would be wise not to bother with United though if they want a permanent transfer as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS focus on cost-cutting measures rather than the improvement of their squad, the latest of which was described as ‘offensive’ by the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST).
United sent an email to members of the Fans Forum on Tuesday announcing the changes, which will mean remaining tickets for home games this season will all be priced at £66, no matter the age of the person buying them.
The email states that more than 97 per cent of tickets have already been sold, with five-age related discounts applied to those tickets, but have done away with those concessions to help improve ‘operational efficiencies’ and ‘stabilise revenues’.
The club also said all cancelled or donated season ticket holder tickets will now be sold at adult price and that they’re removing the 25 per cent discount for Europa League knockout games.
MUST are angry at the change and the lack of consultation involved and have issued a statement.
‘This means that for an adult member to take their kid to a game in the remainder of this season will cost £132. Well over double the minimum price they could pay to do it today. And this change is happening overnight, immediately.
‘The club has provided zero consultation on the matter, neither with the Forum nor the Fan Advisory Board nor MUST.
‘Suffice it to say, that the idea that the fans must pay their ‘fair share’ for the club’s excesses and/or mismanagement — and above all, the Glazers lack of investment over two decades — is offensive.
‘We fans have done everything we have been asked. We have cheered the players on even in the face of substandard performance. We have gone to matches and abided by the new usage rules for tickets. We have taken on a price increase this year.
‘There is a risk that this is only the opening salvo of what will surely be massive pressure to implement a significant price rise for next season. Once they have got used to charging £132 for a parent and child to come to Old Trafford, will they really go back to the old pricing levels for next season?
‘If the club has a need for short term capital they should issue new shares, as they did when INEOS first arrived, and bring in funding from existing or new shareholders.
‘We have objected to this action in the strongest possible terms, both for the action itself and the complete lack of consultation, which is a step backward based on the process we had agreed with the club before INEOS’ arrival.
‘Over the coming days MUST will be seeking urgent discussions with the club to get them to listen to fans’ concern at this policy. United fans have sucked up a lot. We will not be silent on this and we need to be prepared to resist any attempts to further drive up ticket prices.’
