Man United eye £87m windfall from sacking Ruben Amorim – finance expert
Ruben Amorim’s potential departure from Man United will cost the club a significant sum but it could open the door to a huge windfall down the line.
That is the view of football finance expert Dan Plumley, who told Football Insider exclusively that the value of improved performances could cover the Portuguese manager’s firing.
The finance expert previously told Football Insider that Man United would have to spend millions firing Amorim and hiring his replacement.
Man United have already spent over £70million replacing managers since Alex Ferguson departed in 2013.
However, whilst firing Amorim would cost a significant sum, owing to his £10m a year contract at Old Trafford [BBC Sport], that cost would be drastically outweighed should the club find a way to qualify for European competition.
Man United’s loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final last May cost the club the chance to play in continental competition this season.
Whilst this is seen as a good opportunity for the club to focus on their domestic performances, Jim Ratcliffe has plans to build a new stadium and further transfer recruitment will be dependent on the Red Devils playing in Europe in the future.
Champions League worth €100m to Man United
This article contains exclusive comment from Dan Plumley, a football finance expert and senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University.
Speaking to Football Insider exclusively, Plumley explained that whilst sacking Amorim would not be cheap, qualification to the Champions League could be worth €100m (£87m), and that with each Premier League place being worth around £3.5m, finding a new manager to rejuvenate the club in the 2025-26 season could be financially beneficial.
He said: “The caveat to that [sacking Amorim] is it’ll always be dictated by sporting performance.
“You know, each Premier League place is worth £3.5m and qualification for the Champions League can be worth €100m (£87m).
“The trade-off is, yes, you’ve got the compensation fee to pay, but if that makes you better on the pitch, you can jump up a few places and you can cover that compensation fee.
“It’s not just the cost of firing, it’s the expectation of, if we get better with a new manager, then that might lead to a revenue uplift, which might just cover the compensation cost.”
Jim Ratcliffe could agree to full Man United takeover
Ratcliffe has plenty of big decisions to make over the coming days, weeks, and months relating to the Red Devils.
Not only does the minority owner need to decide on whether or not to keep Amorim, but he may also be in a position to buy out the infamous Glazer family, who have held a majority control of the club since 2005.
The Glazer’s drag-along rights have come into effect, allowing them to force all other shareholders to sell their shares if they can find a buyer.
This could allow Ratcliffe to buy Man United in its entirety, although finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider he does not think this is likely to happen any time soon.