The £175m blow hitting Man Utd's finances within nine months which could limit summer spending

Manchester United have made a lot of their fans financial experts in the last few years but one of the biggest blows of all could be yet to come by March 2026.

The transfer window for Man Utd has started in a way that has left many Man Utd fans forgetting the perilous financial situation of the club.

If Bryan Mbeumo also comes through the door, then United will have spent close to £120 million without a single outgoing.

The sales will have to take priority then because, as it stands, the club is on the hook to pay £175.5 million by March 2026 without making any more moves.

Photo by Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

Man Utd’s incoming £175.5m hit

The way Ineos have gone about ruthlessly cutting people at the club and adding post-season fixtures spoke volumes about how urgent the financial situation is.

Add to that the complete absence of European football next season, which will lead to a reduction in Adidas’ kit deal with the club, and the financial hole grows larger.

However, the financial doom of the club is largely caused by the previous regime under the Glazers kicking the can down the road.

Ineos are having to make up for it now, and that phenomenon is most visible in The Athletic’s latest revelation about United.

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As per the report, United owed £308.9 million in transfer instalments by March 31, 2025, but more than half of it, £175.5 million, needs to be paid by March 2026.

It tallies with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s earlier assertion that United are still paying for players like Antony, Casemiro, and Jadon Sancho, among others.

Adding that £175.5 million to this financial year’s budget, and it paints a scary picture where United have effectively spent close to £200 million (adding Cunha’s fee instalment) and have just Matheus Cunha to show for it.

If and when Mbeumo signs, his fee will be paid in instalments as well, ballooning that already formidable figure further.

Man Utd will likely pause in the window after two signings

It’s all well and good linking United to Ekitike but the numbers above are a stark reminder of the club’s current state.

It is crystal clear that United are not even in “sell to buy” mode any longer, they might just be in “sell to survive mode” at this rate.

Of course, United’s PSR position is rosy after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s equity investment but PSR position and the ability to spend in the market are not completely correlated.

United’s long-term picture needs sorting out and that can only happen with sales, even if they register as a loss on the PSR amortisation scale.

Taking short-term hits is the need of the hour to save the long-term picture.

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