Manchester United have started the 2025-26 season under intense scrutiny, struggling for form as Ruben Amorim faces pressure after a disastrous opening run in the league.
Fans and pundits alike are questioning how the club will recover from their lowest league finish in 51 years, with only four points from as many games to date.
Behind the scenes, United have been busy reshaping the squad, with summer signings aiming to bolster both the men’s and women’s teams, while the newly revamped £50m training ground at Carrington offers state-of-the-art facilities.
Commercially, the club continues to push forward with record revenues, despite the dramatic changes in leadership and staffing over the past year.
As United navigate both on-field struggles and off-field transformation, the full scale of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s restructuring has now been revealed.
It has emerged that the mass jobs cull at the club, which saw Erik ten Hag and sporting director Dan Ashworth among hundreds of staff dismissed, cost United over £36m in compensation, as per The Telegraph.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CENTREDEVILS WHATSAPP GROUP CHAT NOW!
Around 400 positions were cut, reducing the club’s workforce from 1,122 to roughly 700, in a bid to control losses and streamline operations.
That decision helped lower overall losses to £33m for the 12 months ending 30 June, down sharply from £113.2m the previous year.
The cost of the managerial changes alone was staggering.
Ten Hag’s exit in October and Ashworth’s departure six weeks later contributed to the £36.6m bill, while an additional £9.2m was paid to Sporting to secure Ruben Amorim as the new head coach, spread across the length of his contract.
United’s failure to qualify for last season’s Champions League and their poor league finish caused broadcast income to drop by nearly £50m, but strong commercial and match-day revenues helped the club post record total revenue of £666.5m.
Wage costs also fell by £51.5m to £313.2m after players accepted a 25 per cent pay cut due to missing out on Europe.
Financially, United’s EBITDA – the key measure of operational performance – hit £182.8m, the highest in European football since the Covid pandemic.
Club executives emphasise that the restructuring and cost-cutting measures were designed to stabilise the organisation and provide long-term growth.
Sporting director Berrada stated: “As we settle into the 2025-26 season, we are working hard to improve the club in all areas.
“On the field, we are pleased with the additions we have made to our men’s and women’s first team squads over the summer, as we build for the long-term.
“Off the field, we are emerging from a period of structural and leadership change with a refreshed, streamlined organisation equipped to deliver on our sporting and commercial objectives.
“We are also investing to upgrade our infrastructure, including completion of the £50m redevelopment of our men’s first team building at Carrington, on time and on budget, following prior investment in our women’s team facilities, to create a world-class environment for our players and staff.
“Meanwhile, planning continues to meet our ambition of developing a new stadium at Old Trafford as part of a transformational regeneration of the surrounding community.”
The scale of the changes highlights just how ruthless Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures have been, but the club insists the foundation is now in place for sustainable success on and off the pitch.
