Manchester United will hold a meeting on 24 February with staff to discuss “media reports”, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new round of up to 200 redundancies expected to be on the agenda.
On Friday evening, all employees received notice, via email, of the “team briefing”, which will take place at 2.30pm on Monday 24 February. On Tuesday it emerged that Ratcliffe is to cut as many as 200 employees, having previously made 250 redundancies in the summer and autumn.
On Wednesday it was reported that Ratcliffe is undertaking these and other money-saving measures to avoid the club going bankrupt, after it lost £300m in the past three years. While United are yet to officially confirm the new redundancies, the email suggests this and other matters will be discussed at the meeting.
It says: “We are aware of media reports this week speculating on a number of issues relating to the club. We recognise this is unsettling for you all. In terms of what has been reported there is no further information that we can share with you at this point. However, we will hold a team briefing on Monday 24 February at 2.30pm during which we’ll be able to talk to you further.
It will come as no surprise that the club must explore every option, including reducing costs and raising revenues. There are no final decisions currently.”
Ruben Amorim has admitted Manchester United will have to sell players before they can strengthen in the summer window due to straitened finances.
During the recent window, United could afford only a £25.1m outlay on the full-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce and £1.5m on the centre-back Ayden Heaven from Arsenal. While this was possible without sales, Amorim has warned that a summer repeat will not be possible in regard to permanent transfers.
“Here is simple – to do something we need to sell players,” said the head coach. “We cannot do [signings] now. The window is closed. We need to focus on the games that we have, especially the next one, and then in the summer we will see.”
Ratcliffe’s Mission 21 and Project 150 are plans for United to win a 21st league title by the club’s 150th anniversary in 2028. “Yes, we talk about that,” Amorim said.
I sense from day one our focus is to win the Premier League, and we can change everything in a few years. I don’t know how long it is going to take. At the moment we are in a difficult situation, the way we play, the games that we don’t win.
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“We know that, but we need to work every day and to focus on the little steps, winning the next game, and then we will see.”
United visit Tottenham on Sunday with Amorim’s side 13th on 29 points, two ahead of their hosts. “Our biggest problem now is Tottenham,” said Amorim. “We know the moment of the club. Of course I have to understand all of these problems but that problem of our club is not new. You already knew the rules of [financial] fair play.
“We have a [budgetary] problem at the moment, but that cannot influence the way I coach the team and prepare the next game, so my focus is on that and not the other things.”
With Mason Mount, Jonny Evans, Luke Shaw and Altay Bayindir absent, Amorim may have more players unavailable for the trip to north London. “Maybe we will have one or two issues, but we are waiting,” he said. “We have one player also who is sick so we will see the team on the weekend. But it was good to work with the team, to feel the players and to try to improve our performance.”
Source: theguardian.com
