Manchester United have revealed the mammoth pay-off they had to give Ruben Amorim following his sacking earlier this year.
The Portuguese manager was dismissed in January following an ill-fated 14 months at Old Trafford, with the final straw proving a 1-1 draw at rivals Leeds.
Amorim’s exit came well ahead of the expiry of his two-and-a-half year deal and United have therefore had to pay him off £8.5m after terminating his contract.
While a significant hit for the Red Devils, it is still just over half of what predecessor Erik ten Hag received at the end of his disastrous reign in 2024, which came three months after the club opted to trigger a one-year extension following United’s FA Cup win.
In fact, United ended up managing to save some money on Amorim’s departure, which was initially recorded as an exceptional item costing £16.7m in the third quarter results published in May, but that is understood to have been the maximum exposure the club faced from the exit of the Portuguese and his staff. That has now been significantly reduced because he has since taken on the AC Milan job.
It comes as United posted record revenues for 2025/26 despite their absence from European competition, though they recorded a pre-tax loss of almost £47m.
The Red Devils earned £677.6m in the year ended 30 June, up from the previous record of £666.5m the year before.
United’s revenue guidance for next year is £740m to £760m, with the club now back in the Champions League.
Chief executive Omar Berrada said: “We are pleased to have secured record revenues and adjusted EBITDA which demonstrates the underlying strength of our business, particularly in a season without European football.
“This shows the direct impact of the work we have been doing over the past two years. It also proves Manchester United’s enduring popularity and commercial strength.”
United’s wage bill was £302m, down £11.3m or 3.6 per cent on the previous year. The club attributed the drop to changes in the men’s first-team squad and the headcount reduction programmes embarked on over the last two years.
The overall loss is seen by United insiders as evidence of the need to continue to work hard on financial discipline.
Additional reporting by PA
