Archive June 5, 2025

Manchester United may have no European football to look forward to next season but it has not prevented them from delving into the transfer market.

A £62.5m deal was agreed to sign Brazil forward Matheus Cunha from Wolves on the opening day of the latest transfer window, which is split into two phases this summer.

United are now also are in pursuit of Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo after submitting a bid of £45m and £10m in add-ons for the Cameroon international.

However, this activity is set against the backdrop of part owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe delivering a dire assement of the club’s finances in March and the subsequent ramifications of their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.

That denied the 20-time English champions a Champions League spot and a guaranteed £70m just for participating in Europe’s elite club competition.

Since then captain Bruno Fernandes has also rejected the overtures of Saudi Pro-League club Al-Hilal, which may have generated a transfer fee of between £80-100m.

And given United ended up 15th in the Premier League last term, and boss Ruben Amorim is wedded to a 3-4-3 formation that is not suited to those at his disposal, the club’s need for new blood seems greater than ever before.

But just how can they afford it without breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR) which limit clubs to losses of £105m over three years?

The noises coming out of Old Trafford from Amorim and his players felt despondent and defeatist in the immediate aftermath of United’s failure to reach the Champions League.

Defender Luke Shaw described a club at “rock bottom”, while the former Sporting boss questioned his own future in Manchester.

There were suggestions transfer moves would be downgraded from a Plan A to less expensive alternatives, all while news of a new wave of redundancies to cut costs filtered through.

Gallows humour pervaded in the stands prior to United’s final Premier League game of a dismal 2024-25 campaign against Aston Villa – especially when talk turned to their prospects for next year.

Yet, for Maguire, talk of a financial crisis and a club struggling to meet PSR obligations is well wide of the mark.

“Even without European football they]United] could spend £150m without breaking into a sweat”, Maguire told BBC Sport.

“The picture that has been painted of Manchester United’s finances has exaggerated the negativity. They make more cash on a day-to-day basis than any other club in the Premier League.

” The club does not lose as much money as is claimed and their position is far better than everybody is looking at because everybody is looking at the wrong company.

“Everybody is looking at the New York company – Manchester United plc but there is another company called Red Football which is owned by the Glazers and that is forming the basis of the PSR calculation.

On the face of it, deals for former Atletic Madrid player Cunha and potentially Mbeumo would total over £100m and eat into a significant chunk of United’s summer budget before sales.

However, accounting practices mean that is not actually the case.

” When you bring in a new player you would normally put them on a four or five-year contract. The way the accounting works – you take the cost of the player and divide it by the length of the contract, “added Maguire.

” If you sign someone for £150m it would cost them £30m next year plus the wages.

“But you only have to go and sell a couple of players of the calibre of]Alejandro] Garnacho,]Marcus] Rashford and co to get more than £60m of profit coming in so it effectively pays for itself.

” So you can pay out a far bigger multiple than the sales proceeds of those that might be departing. “

The likes of Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho, Rashford, Garnacho and Antony have all been tipped to depart permanently this summer.

In addition there has also been speculation over the future of goalkeepers Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir and 20-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who almost 12 months ago was in the England starting XI for the final of the European Championship.

” If a football club sells a player, normally the profit which goes into your PSR calculations is the difference between the sales price and the book value. Without getting too technical the book value is how much you originally pay for the player less how much you have written off to date.

“With an academy player you have not paid anything for the player’s registration so if we look at other clubs and Chelsea in particular, the sales of Conor Gallagher, Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham, Billy Gilmour and Mason Mount – they all came through the academy and when you sell them it is 100% profit.

” In the case of Manchester United they have three players]Rashford, Garnacho and Mainoo] who have been mentioned in media outlets as being possibly for sale and they are going to generate pure profit.

England manager Sarina Wiegman says “there is no crisis” despite a chaotic 10 days which has seen three high-profile senior players either retire from international football in the build-up to Euro 2025 or withdraw from the tournament.

Wiegman named a 23-player squad on Thursday for the tournament in Switzerland, which starts on 2 July, where England are defending champions.

She will be without goalkeeper Mary Earps and midfielder Fran Kirby, who have both retired from international football, while defender Millie Bright, who captained the side to the World Cup final in 2023, withdrew from selection to focus on her mental and physical wellbeing.

The loss of three players, who have won a combined 217 caps, in such a short time has led to a potentially unsettling period for the Lionesses – and distractions off the pitch dominated discussions at the end of their Women’s Nations League campaign this week.

“Yeah, of course,]it] has been hard”, said Wiegman. “I think there are three different stories and every story is one on its own.

“]These are] players who have been with us for a long time, who I have been working with for a long time and so that’s hard. “

But the Dutchwoman says she is happy with the atmosphere inside the England camp.

” You]the media] see part of it, you are not in our environment all the time and I can ensure that the training sessions were really good last week, “she said.

” I didn’t see anything]to suggest] that there were no connections within the team. I am really happy]with] where we are right now. “

Wiegman had to address issues around player’s performance-related bonuses in the build-up to the World Cup and there was also heavy scrutiny on her decision to omit former captain Steph Houghton from the Euro 2022 squad in her first year in charge.

” My experiences before is that there is always noise. We expect noise until we go into the tournament, “said Wiegman.

” The difference is, between 2015 and 2017 to now, is that the attention and visibility of the women’s game has increased so much.

Wiegman said she was feeling “good” despite it being a week full of difficult decisions and conversations.

Kirby’s retirement followed Wiegman’s decision not to include her in the Euros squad, while goalkeeper Earps was unhappy at her position as number two.

Wiegman said it is “part of the job” to endure those experiences but she can “move forward” to the Euros now.

“Yes, those hard conversations are not nice. I know what players do and how hard they work to make the squad. It’s hard to give disappointing messages”, she added.

“At the same time, I also had very nice messages to give so that gives me more energy.

” After I have conversations with players, I always think, ‘ OK, what went well? ‘ For me, it is really important that I am honest, that I treat people in the right way.

“Sometimes, you have very good news and, sometimes, you don’t have good news – and I don’t go around the bush with that.

” I just give that message, then I can’t always control how people respond to that. I just hope that they have the clarity to move on. “

Wiegman also said part of the growth of women’s football, and the success of the Lionesses, has added increased demands on her players.

Wiegman claimed the Chelsea captain would have been chosen if she hadn’t withdrawn herself, but Bright’s withdrawal has been a blow for England.

When she learned of Bright’s decision, she responded, “In the last couple of days I learned.” It was disappointing and depressing.

“I just hope she feels better soon because it’s not nice when you’re not feeling well physically and mentally.”

“The profile of England is growing. That is both very exciting and life-changing, but players are not robots at the same time. They also have to deal with these issues.

Scotland vs. Iceland: friendly international

When: Friday, June 6th, When: Hampden Park Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Steve Clarke, head coach, claims that the new players he has recruited are welcoming Scotland, but that he won’t be “experimenting” too much with his team in the friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Seven uncapped players were called up by Clarke for the matches, which were both broadcast live on BBC Scotland on Friday at Hampden and Monday at Vaduz.

Kieron Bowie, Josh Doig, Josh Doig, Josh Doig, Andy Irving and Lennon Miller of Motherwell, and goalkeeping duo Robby McCrorie and Cieran Slicker are all competing for first caps.

However, the head coach claims that Iceland will look familiar to his team.

There must be a cycle and eventually a player turnover with any team. You’re letting these young players in to assess their level, help them determine their goals, and ensure that they are chosen consistently. That is crucial.

The young people are doing well, they say. One or two of them enters this camp earlier than the first time they left.

Clarke has also been impressed by the persistence of his more well-known players in attending these friendships at the conclusion of grueling campaigns.

Captain Andy Robertson is one of them, who has also been impressed by the squad’s recent successes, both in terms of their attitudes and willingness to learn.

We won’t be around forever, Scott McTominay and John McGinn, they say. The young lads are then in charge, the Liverpool full-back said.

They will soon be their squad, and they will then have to raise standards. Therefore, it is crucial for them to comprehend how challenging international football is.

Iceland reached their first major finals since winning the Euro 2016 championship ten years ago.

What followed defied everything, from a nation with a population that was smaller than Edinburgh to the previous era.

Iceland were viewed as fodder for nations who regularly reached major finals because they were regarded as perennial minnows. Scotland and other nations.

The island nation reached the quarter-finals of France, beating England en route, before holding Argentina to the World Cup in Russia two years later, raising the bar for subsequent major tournament qualifications.

Iceland, who are onto their fourth coach since the halcyon days of Lars Lagerback and Heimer Hallgrimsson, have experienced relegation to Nations League C in March with a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Kosovo.

Defenders: Doig (Sassuolo), Hanley (Birmingham City), Hendry (Al-Etiffaq), Johnston (Sturm Graz), Patterson (Everton), Robertson (Celtic), Robertson (Liverpool), Souttar (Rangers), Tierney (Arsenal),

Barron (Rangers), Ferguson (Bologna), Gilmour (West Ham United), McTominay (Napoli), and Miller (Motherwell) are the midfielders.

International friendly: Scotland v Iceland

When: Friday, 6 June Where: Hampden Park Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Head coach Steve Clarke says the new players he has called up are embracing being part of the Scotland squad, but he won’t be “experimenting” with his side too much in the friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Clarke called up seven uncapped players for the matches on Friday at Hampden and in Vaduz on Monday – both live on BBC Scotland.

Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie, Sassuolo left-back Josh Doig, midfield trio Connor Barron of Rangers, West Ham’s Andy Irving and Lennon Miller of Motherwell, and goalkeeping duo Robby McCrorie and Cieran Slicker are all vying for a first cap.

However, the head coach says his side will have a familar look against Iceland.

“With any team, there has to be a cycle and a turnover of players eventually. You’re bringing these young players in to feel the level of the group, to understand where they need to get to, to be selected regularly. That’s important.

“The young ones are in a good place. There’s one or two of them coming into this camp better than the last time they came.”

Clarke has also been impressed by the commitment shown by his more established players at turning up for these friendlies at the end of gruelling campaigns.

Among those is captain Andy Robertson, who has also been impressed by the new faces among the squad, both in terms of their abilities on the training pitch but also in their attitudes and willingness to learn.

“Me, Scott McTominay, John McGinn, we’re not going to be around forever. Then it’s up to the young lads,” the Liverpool full-back said.

“It will soon be their squad, they will then have to step up and set standards. So them understanding how difficult international football is, is crucial.

Iceland stunned the football world 10 years ago, reaching their first ever major finals when they qualified for Euro 2016.

What followed defied everything from a country’s population which is smaller than Edinburgh to what had gone before.

As perennial minnows, Iceland were regarded as fodder for countries who regularly made it to major finals. Countries such as Scotland.

But successive major tournament qualifications raised the bar of the island nation, who went all the way to the quarter-finals in France, beating England en route before holding Argentina at the World Cup in Russia two years later.

It has been tougher in recent years for Iceland, who are onto their fourth coach since the halcyon days of Lars Lagerback and Heimer Hallgrimsson, having suffered relegation to Nations League C in March with a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Kosovo.

Goalkeepers: Gunn (unattached), McCrorie (Kilmarnock), Slicker (Ipswich Town)

Defenders: Doig (Sassuolo), Hanley (Birmingham City), Hendry (Al-Etiffaq), Johnston (Sturm Graz), Scott McKenna (Las Palmas), Patterson (Everton), Ralston (Celtic), Robertson (Liverpool), Souttar (Rangers), Tierney (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Barron (Rangers), Ferguson (Bologna), Gilmour (Napoli), Irving (West Ham United), McGinn (Aston Villa), McTominay (Napoli), Miller (Motherwell)