Keith Wyness reveals real reason for confirmed £14m Man United blow
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted the £14million drop in revenue at Man United is due to their failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – praised the Old Trafford club for dropping their wage bill, which he claims shows there are bonuses based on performance rather than blanket “guaranteed payouts” for players.
Last week (26 November), Man United released documents showing their first-quarter accounts ending 30 September 2024.
The Red Devils revealed their overall revenue fell to £143.1million down from £157.1million for the same period last year.
However, the club did manage to reduce their wage bill by £10.1million to £80.2million for the quarter.
United are playing in the Europa League this term after winning the FA Cup under ex-boss Erik ten Hag in the 2023-24 campaign.
Man United revenue drop is not a concern, says Wyness
Wyness suggested the drop in revenue is normal for a club no longer competing in the Champions League, and insisted it is “good” to see a bonus payment system in place at Old Trafford.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “It’s not really concerning.
“The main drop has been due to the lack of Champions League football.
“So the financial results show the contracts are actually staggered on results. That’s good, rather than having a number of players getting guaranteed payouts no matter what.
“There’s bonus payments based on results – there needs to be more of that at Man United.
“You don’t mind paying the big money when you’re winning, because you’ll get it back in spades.
“But the failure to get Champions League football will be the reason for the drop in revenue.”
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