“We’ve got more accountants than we’ve got sporting people at Manchester United,” a bewildered Sir Jim Ratcliffe told Bloomberg in June.
They have been busy at work since his arrival. United published their latest financial figures published in September, which showed the club received record revenue of £661.8million but made a loss of £113.2m for the year ending June 30.
United are nevertheless confident they will avoid any sanctions. The money magnet that is the Premier League and the presence of its Profit & Sustainability Rules [PSR] has encouraged an influx of financial clerks into English football on a growing scale. ALSO READ: Some academy staff had niggling doubts about Ten Hag ALSO READ: Ruben Amorim agrees to become United manager A source at a well-known financial accountancy firm says its football department is ‘oversubscribed’ with employees wishing to venture into the sector.
And all the while, football legislation is being forced to change thanks to the work of lawyers in recent and ongoing hearing battles. “If you’re not careful, the Premier League is going to finish up spending more time in court than it is thinking about what’s good for the league,” Ratcliffe added.