Jim Ratcliffe told to approve Man United spending spree – ‘it’s the top priority
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is under pressure following his unconvincing start to life at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese boss was drafted in to replace Erik ten Hag in November, but he has claimed victories in just six of his opening 18 Premier League games in charge, leaving his side sitting 13th in the table.
Man United paid £14.5million in compensation to Ten Hag, his backroom staff and former sporting director Dan Ashworth following their departures in recent months.
However, United’s new stadium plans have dominated the headlines recently at Old Trafford.
The Premier League side have announced plans to build a 100,000-seater stadium as part of the government’s regeneration of the Old Trafford area.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has insisted he wants the new stadium, which will cost around £2billion, to be the “world’s greatest” and potentially be completed within five years.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – insisted Ratcliffe must focus on providing funds for Amorim to improve his squad rather than funding the stadium development.
United posted a club-record revenue of £661.8million in 2023-24 despite recording a net loss of £113.2million, while they are in more than £1billion of debt.
Jim Ratcliffe told to prioritise Man United transfer budget
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted Ratcliffe has to put football matters ahead of the new stadium plans.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “If you really believe that Ratcliffe has got the best interest of United at stake, he’s got to make sure that there is the right amount of money for a manager to back him and to get the squad sorted out.
“That’s his priority. Man United is a football club first of all, and that’s where he’s got to keep that priority.
“Any money that is put aside for the budgets for the stadium have got to make sure that the team is looked after in terms of the budget to get the squad right, provided that comes first and the stadium second, then I think that’s more like it.
“Obviously, the new revenue is going to be important coming in for the new stadium.
“But you’ve got to be sure that the new revenue isn’t all eaten up in interest payments and the way that the stadium is financed, so put the football club first, keep that in the top of your mind and they might be okay.”
| Ranking | Stadium | Capacity |
| 1 | Old Trafford (Man United) | 74,197 |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Tottenham) | 62,850 |
| 3 | London Stadium (West Ham) | 62,500 |
| 4 | Anfield (Liverpool) | 61,276 |
| 5 | Emirates Stadium (Arsenal) | 60,704 |
| 6 | Etihad Stadium (Man City) | 52,900 |
Man United line up Viktor Gyokeres signing
Football Insider revealed on 15 March Man United remain keen on signing Viktor Gyokeres as they look to add to their attacking options this summer.
The Manchester giants could face competition from some of their fellow Premier League sides after Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have all expressed an interest in the 26-year-old.
Gyokeres, who has registered 40 goals and 10 assists in 41 appearances this season, has a close relationship with Amorim after the pair worked together at Sporting Lisbon.
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