How much Man Utd could spend this summer if they qualify for Champions League as expert pinpoints £470m bill

Manchester United are hoping to return to the Champions League and a top-five finish is certainly in sight this season.

Thanks to the three-game winning streak under Michael Carrick, Manchester United find themselves in a strong position to compete for Champions League football.

The Red Devils are up to fourth, and United’s Champions League hopes were boosted by English clubs performing well this season.

It means that England are likely to be handed a fifth qualification spot, making a top-five finish the target for Carrick.

Sporting director Jason Wilcox has targeted Champions League football this season, and if Carrick is able to achieve qualification, it will have a huge benefit financially and in the transfer market.

Man United tipped to spend £200m if they qualify

Losing the Europa League final last season meant United went without European football altogether in 2025/26 and that has been crippling from a financial standpoint.

According to Flashscore, sources claim that United could have more than £200 million available to spend if they qualify for the Champions League.

Man United’s rivals are overtaking them in the financial stakes

What does Sir Jim need to do to fix this MESS?

More United News

It is added that even Europa League qualification would support a major transfer window for Ineos and the Red Devils.

Finance expert clears up how much Man United can spend

United in Focus have spoken exclusively to football finance expert Adam Williams about the spending power available in the summer if Champions League football is secured.

It seems a £200 million budget might be overly optimistic…

“There are a few caveats we need to get into here,” Williams said.

“First, is ‘£200m’ a net figure? Or is that what club sources are saying that United can spend regardless of sales? If it’s the latter, I have to say I am highly, highly sceptical.

Manchester United’s ALARMING transfer debt

Who's to blame here? 🤔

“Even if they finish in the top five and get Champions League football, they simply don’t have the resources to be able to spend that much without a huge equity injection from the owners – and the problem there is that Ratcliffe’s liquidity, i.e., his access to cash, is at a low ebb, and the Glazers aren’t interested in putting money in.

“It’s the club’s access to cold, hard cash that is stopping them from that kind of spend, not PSR. They have plenty of room for manoeuvre under both UEFA and the Premier League’s systems.

They generated an operating loss – that’s their bottom line before player sales – of £67m last season. Without European prize money and matchday income this season, I expect the operating loss to be bigger this season, even accounting for Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting.

“You have to fund those losses from somewhere. To pay for the summer spending, they increased the limit of their revolving credit facility, which is essentially an overdraft. Per their last accounts, they owed £268m there, including interest. I believe the limit is now £350m, but I expect them to get closer to that figure by the end of the season because of the seasonality of cash flows. Theoretically, they could extend that overdraft, but they are already paying so much money in interest – about £40m per season – that it is a sub-optimal move.

“Champions League football could be worth north of £100m to United in prize money depending on performance, plus probably an extra £25-30m in matchday income. But there are costs associated with qualifying too – bonuses to players, administrative expenses, matchday costs. On a net basis, the benefit is much lower than £130m.

“And the biggest issue, in my view, is their transfer debt. They owed nearly £470m as of September. About £250m of that is due by the end of the financial year. They are owed money on transfers too, but that doesn’t offset it very much.

READ MORE: Rivals told to ‘accept reality’ after Man United handed £136m Premier League jackpot

“When you’re paying £250m in transfer debt, £300m-plus in wages, £40m in interest and probably £150m in other expenses, it’s not easy to fund £200m in new signings, even if you structure those deals on long-term instalments. With Champions League money, revenue would probably be £720m-ish, but that doesn’t cover your costs even before new additions.

“To spend £200m, they need to sell players and cash in on some of the sponsorship deals they have to offer. With Europa League, there’s no chance. With Champions League, it could work, but only with some horse-trading first.“

Click here to read article