What Champions League failure would mean for Man Utd's summer transfer business
Manchester United don't need to qualify for the Champions League in order to spend big this summer.
But football finance expert Dr Dan Plumley has told Mirror Football that failing to qualify for European football's premier club competition will no doubt impact on next season's budgets - despite a £1.3bn investment from Sir Jim Ratclffe being announced in late December.
After finishing third in the Premier League last season, Ten Hag's side have found it tougher this term and currently sit outside of the spots that guarantee a place in next season's competition - having finished bottom of their Champions League group with just four points from six matches this term.
But a recent upturn in form has given them hope of qualifying for next season's competition, despite not spending to strengthen in January. Questions over the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules stood in the way of January investment, with Ten Hag indicating that was the reason a new striker couldn't be brought in as cover for the injured Anthony Martial.
That is not expected to stop United come the summer, though, regardless of where the team finishes this term.
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"I think if we look at the regulations, they're okay against those regulations, it then becomes a conversation of where's the budget at in real time?" Dr Plumley told Mirror Football courtesy of Grosvenor Sport.
"What difference does Champions League or not Champions League make to the budget moving forward? And what about some of the potential outgoings? What happens with players like Jadon Sancho and one or two others? And then that will dictate the strategy for potentially what comes in.
"Champions League, you're absolutely right, will be a big factor in that. But I think even then it won't stop them from spending if they don't get there, but obviously you can look to stretch yourself a little bit more with Champions League football."
How active will Manchester United be this summer? Have your say in the comments section
Rasmus Hojlund was among the players to join Manchester United in the summer of 2023 (Ryan Browne/REX/Shutterstock)United weren't the only team to be quiet in January, with less than £100m spent on new signings between all 20 Premier League clubs. Only two players - Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton - commanded fees north of £20m.
This all comes against the backdrop of Everton being handed a points deduction for breaching financial rules in the 2021-22 season, a punishment they have pledged to fight. The Merseyside club were also charged over breaches in relation to the 2022-23 campaign, as were Nottingham Forest.
"I think most clubs prefer to do business in the summer and of course January was much quieter this year than it has been in previous Januarys and there's a couple of wider factors for that," Dr Plumley explained.
"One is the PSR calculations and that bite in at Everton and Forest in particular, and we've seen the Premier League now taking clubs to task on that in terms of points deductions and I think the other thing at Manchester United as well of course was the new investment from Jim Ratcliffe in INEOS coming in, the timing was never right to push some of that... into a January spend."
Manchester United ended up spending close to £200m in the summer of 2023, with Rasmus Hojlund the most expensive arrival, having forked out even more 12 months earlier.
Sunday's win at Aston Villa brought them within five points of Unai Emery's side in fifth, with potential for the Premier League to have five representatives in next season's expanded Champions League.
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