Man United to lose £10m for every Champions League qualification failure

Formerly guaranteed participants in Europe's premier competition, the Red Devils were unable to force their way into the 2022-23 edition but returned to the top table with a third-placed Premier League finish last season.

However, Erik ten Hag's men suffered a chastening group-stage exit, having only accumulated four points from six matches against Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray, thereby also missing out on a spot in the Europa League.

Back-to-back Champions League qualifications are a long shot for Ten Hag's men, who are sixth in the Premier League table with 10 games left to play and have an eight-point gap to make up to fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Furthermore, Tottenham Hotspur could open up a nine-point lead over Man United in the race for fourth if they win their game in hand, although another spot in the Champions League could open up for English teams based on UEFA coefficients.

With Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, West Ham United and Aston Villa still competing on the continent, fifth place could very well suffice for CL qualification, and Man United now have another financial incentive to ensure a return to the coveted tournament.

As mentioned in their latest half-yearly financial accounts, a new 10-year kit deal with Adidas will come into effect in 2025, when their current, £750m agreement with the sportswear brand will come to an end.

The renewal is worth £90m per annum, but as part of the terms, Man United will take a £10m hit for every season that they fail to qualify for the Champions League, which represents a change to their