Man United to make dramatic cuts as Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new plan revealed
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has faced criticism for his cost-cutting measures since joining Manchester United.
The INEOS chief purchased an initial 27.7 per cent stake at Old Trafford in February 2024 after agreeing a £1.25billion deal with the Glazers.
Ratcliffe has since increased his stake in Man United to 28.9 per cent after injecting around £240million into the club.
In a controversial reveal earlier this year, Ratcliffe claimed Man United would have gone “bust by Christmas” if it wasn’t for his efforts to cut costs, which have included charity cuts and halting benefits for ex-players.
Man United have also hiked their ticket prices over the past couple of seasons, making Ratcliffe a largely unpopular figure among the club’s fans.
Man United could save millions after Sir Jim Ratcliffe move
Ratcliffe has insisted major changes are necessary to get Man United moving in the right direction again following years of underachieving on the pitch.
That has involved moving on several high-earning stars in a bid to reduce the wage bill at Old Trafford.
The Sun reported on Wednesday (26 November) Ruben Amorim’s side are hoping to save up to £2.1m a week on wages, with several permanent exits on the cards.
Man United have the fifth-highest wage bill in the Premier League after their total dropped from £365m in 2023-24 to £313m last season.
Football Insider revealed in July Ratcliffe is looking to reduce Man United’s wage bill to under £300m this season.
Which players are set to leave Man United?
Man United spent more than £200m on the signings of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Senne Lammens and Diego Leon in the recent summer transfer window.
However, they managed to get several top earners off the books after 13 players left either permanently or on loan deals.
Marcus Rashford joined Barcelona on a season-long loan, with the Spanish giants holding the option to purchase the England international for around £30m next summer.
Rashford is believed to be on around £325,000 a week, ensuring Man United could be in line to make significant savings following his departure.
Jadon Sancho secured a temporary switch to Aston Villa ahead of his contract expiring at Old Trafford in June 2026.
Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund made the move to Napoli, who will sign the striker permanently for £38m next summer.
Moving those three stars on – alongside some of the fringe players at Old Trafford – is expected to see Man United’s wage bill fall dramatically again.
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