Manchester United have told some staff working at their Carrington training ground that they will lose their jobs in the second round of redundancies since Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought into the club last year.
Club insiders say the actual process, which could lead to 200 staff losing their jobs, has been ongoing for a number of weeks, with most staff already aware if they are to remain at the club or not.
However, BBC Sport has been told some staff connected to the first team were not informed of their fate until Friday so that preparations for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Tottenham were not disrupted.
It is anticipated that the sports science, medical and scouting departments will be among the areas that could be affected, with up to 200 jobs set to go.
Now the game is out of the way, staff in the affected areas are being informed. Sources claim those staff had earlier been told their positions would be clarified at a later date.
It means in cases of specific roles in those areas being cut back, staff affected are being told whether they are to remain at United or not.
Morale around the club is said to be at a low ebb given this latest news has come so soon after the defeat by Tottenham in the Europa League final.
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Club sources are adamant the timescale for the redundancies has not changed.
United had about 1,100 employees before the first wave of cuts last year.
About 250 employees were made redundant during the first round of redundancies, saving the club between £8m and £10m.
United chief executive Omar Berrada said earlier this year that between 150 and 200 redundancies were set to follow.
Defeat in Bilbao means United will be without European football next season for only the second time since 1990, leaving a £100m hole in the club’s finances.
Ratcliffe has embarked on a series of cost-cutting initiatives since purchasing a minority stake in the club in February 2024.
Club ambassadors, including Sir Alex Ferguson, have had their roles reprised, while a canteen for staff was closed and replaced with the offer of free fruit.
Ratcliffe and fellow co-owner Avram Glazer attended Wednesday’s final in Bilbao, with Ferguson pictured alongside them.
Sources have told BBC Sport that a number of cars were driven to Bilbao before the final for the use of Ratcliffe and senior club officials during their time in Spain.
The club stuck to plans to hold a barbecue for the first-team squad and family members at Carrington following the defeat by Spurs.
But the latest cutbacks come against a bleak financial backdrop, with United losing more than £370m over the past five years. According to their 2024 accounts, they owe £313m in outstanding transfer payments to other clubs.
BBC Sport
