Why £200m UEFA payment is good news and bad news for Manchester United

UEFA revealed this week that over 900 clubs had been paid as part of their Club Benefits Programme, with Manchester United receiving £2.7million.

A payment was made to any clubs who had released players to compete in international UEFA competitions between 2020-2024. The more players involved in said competitions, the more money a club received.

It goes without saying that only the best players are picked to play for their national teams, meaning it was no surprise to see the cream of the Premier League crop towards the top end of the table when it came to the sums received.

Manchester City topped the list with an impressive £4.4m. Next up was Arsenal with £3.34m and then Liverpool with £3.04m; three sides currently sat in the qualification spots for next season's Champions League, with the latter on the verge of being crowned top-flight champions.

Next on the list? 14th placed Manchester United.

United could have slipped as low as 15th had Tottenham Hotspur beaten Nottingham Forest on Monday night and there's a real chance they could finish as low as 17th as they look to prioritise the Europa League in a bid to salvage something from a truly miserable campaign.

Of course, receiving such a handsome sum is no bad thing, but the table showing how much money each team received is further confirmation of how bad things have got at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim admitted earlier this season that the current side was "the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United".

Since that blockbuster press conference following the 3-1 defeat to Brighton in January, United have won just three of 11 Premier League games - two against sides who will be Championship teams next season - and they've been knocked out of the FA Cup by