Sir Jim Ratcliffe believes more Man Utd job cuts will ‘help club avoid going bust’

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s plan to cut around 200 further jobs, part of ongoing cost-saving measures, come amid claims he is concerned the club could go “bust”.

Ratcliffe has been ruthless since a minority buy-in was made official early last year, already reducing the club’s non-football workforce by a quarter during the summer.

Other measures to reduce expenditure have included ending Sir Alex Ferguson’s salary, as well as lowering the money paid to legendary former players serving as ambassadors. Many long-serving staff have already moved on and several employee perks have been withdrawn. Fans are also feeling the pinch, with ticket prices raised and concessionary rates eliminated.

United generated a club record £661.8m in revenue for the 2023/24 season, but still reported a net loss in excess of £100m to highlight an alarming financial situation.

The Guardian writes that Ratcliffe is of the opinion that 200 additional job cuts are “necessary to help the club avoid going bust”. Financial mismanagement over the last few years is being blamed for the current situation, but there is hope that “painful” and “unpopular” measures undertaken now could restore financial health as soon as 2027.

With around 1,000 employees on the books before last summer, United’s workforce could soon be only just over half of what it was.

Critics have pointed out that removing hundreds of everyday people from the wage bill won’t fully cover the annual salary of even one first-team player earning hundreds of thousands per week. United have also spent frivolously on sacking Erik ten Hag very soon after extending his contract, hiring Ruben Amorim, and dismissing Dan Ashworth as sporting director within a matter of months.