UEFA revealed this week that over 900 clubs had been paid as part of their Club Benefits Programme, with Manchester United receiving £2.7million.
A payment was made to any clubs who had released players to compete in international UEFA competitions between 2020-2024. The more players involved in said competitions, the more money a club received.
It goes without saying that only the best players are picked to play for their national teams, meaning it was no surprise to see the cream of the Premier League crop towards the top end of the table when it came to the sums received.
Manchester City topped the list with an impressive £4.4m. Next up was Arsenal with £3.34m and then Liverpool with £3.04m; three sides currently sat in the qualification spots for next season's Champions League, with the latter on the verge of being crowned top-flight champions.
Next on the list? 14th placed Manchester United.
United could have slipped as low as 15th had Tottenham Hotspur beaten Nottingham Forest on Monday night and there's a real chance they could finish as low as 17th as they look to prioritise the Europa League in a bid to salvage something from a truly miserable campaign.
Of course, receiving such a handsome sum is no bad thing, but the table showing how much money each team received is further confirmation of how bad things have got at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim admitted earlier this season that the current side was "the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United".
Since that blockbuster press conference following the 3-1 defeat to Brighton in January, United have won just three of 11 Premier League games - two against sides who will be Championship teams next season - and they've been knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham, making their domestic campaign a write-off before April had even arrived.
Drastic changes are needed in the transfer window. There have been signs of promise under Amorim in recent weeks, with heavily rotated teams showing the ideas and principles of the manager remain the same, regardless of which players he picks.
But signs of promise are failing to translate to points on the board and it's now Europa League or bust for one of the world's biggest clubs.
That £2.7m isn't going to buy United the striker they so badly need but it will certainly come in handy ahead of a huge summer of business.
In a weird kind of way, the transfer kitty boost has underlined just how badly United needed it.
---
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
