Ineos decision could force Manchester United's hand with obvious transfer solution

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe poised to wield the axe and oversee another round of job cuts, it is becoming increasingly clear Manchester United's summer transfer budget will not resemble a bottomless pit.

It is understood that around another 100 people are set to lose their jobs at United as Ineos continues to make cost-cutting decisions. Around 250 staff members were laid off only a few months ago.

Since securing control of football operations at Old Trafford last year, Ineos have had to make big decisions across the board, with the club's financial situation at the forefront of their thinking. They inherited a financial mess and are now attempting to rebuild a once great empire.

But with finances and the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules [PSR] dictating their thinking, United are likely to tread carefully in the summer transfer window.

United find themselves in a position where the squad, in an ideal world, needs gutting and rebuilding from scratch. That is a pipedream. Amorim will require multiple windows to build the squad that matches his vision. Patience will be key.

However, that is not to say United's hands will be completely tied. The club's decision not to commit to signing a striker on deadline day earlier this month was as a direct result of prioritising summer spending instead.

The addition of a striker is poised to be United's main recruitment objective ahead of the 2025/26 season amid the struggles of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. The duo have scored just 12 goals between them in all competitions this season.

United gambled north of £108million on the aforementioned duo in back-to-back summer transfer windows when neither of them had established themselves as a proven goalscorer. United