Manchester United have announced plans for up to 200 more staff redundancies as part of a “transformation plan” they anticipate will “improve the club’s financial sustainability and enhance operational efficiency.”
Despite netting massive revenues, including a club record £662m for the 2023/24 season, United have made financial losses in five consecutive years since 2019.
Following the completion of his partial investment in United last year, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been on a ruthless campaign to cut operational costs at Old Trafford, in a bid to free up more cash to be spent on strengthening the first team.
Last summer, United set in motion their first wave of job losses, with around 250 employees being axed.
This latest round of cuts – unveiled mere days after the one-year anniversary of Ratcliffe’s arrival as minority owner – will be in addition to those redundancies and will affect between 150 and 200 club staff.
In a statement released on Monday, United emphasised that such radical measures are needed to return the Red Devils to profitability.
CEO Omar Berrada said, “We have a responsibility to put Manchester United in the strongest position to win across our men’s, women’s and academy teams. We are initiating a wide-ranging series of measures which will transform and renew the club.”
“Unfortunately, this means announcing further potential redundancies and we deeply regret the impact on those affected colleagues. However, these hard choices are necessary to put the club back on a stable financial footing.”
“We have lost money for the past five consecutive years. This cannot continue. Our two main priorities as a club are delivering success on the pitch for our fans and improving our facilities. We cannot invest in these objectives if we are continuously losing money.”
He added, “At the end of this process, we will have a more lean, agile and financially sustainable football club, while continuing to provide a world class service to our valuable commercial partners.”
“We will then be in a much stronger position to invest in football success and improved facilities for fans, while remaining compliant with UEFA and Premier League regulations.”
United are back in action on Wednesday when they host Ipswich Town at Old Trafford. Kick-off is at 19:30 GMT.
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
