Manchester United’s workforce has fallen by almost 30 per cent, a decision approved by Sir Jim Ratcliffe whose INEOS group assumed control of the club’s football operations, with 322 positions reported laid off.
As of 2025/26 season United accounts show that employee numbers dropped from 1,127 to 805. The biggest cuts came in the club’s in-house media and commercial departments, where staffing levels fell by 45 and 44 per cent respectively.
A further 161 positions were removed from administration and related areas, while 60 jobs disappeared within football operations, including scouting and academy coaching roles.
Cost-Cutting Amid Financial Pressure
The reductions form part of a wider attempt to lower United’s operating costs and create a more sustainable financial structure.
Ratcliffe has previously indicated that the cost-saving programme is intended partly to release more money for investment in the playing squad.
The strategy has coincided with an improvement in United’s operating performance, with the club recording a £22.6 million operating profit for 2025/26, compared with an operating loss of £18.4 million the previous year. Adjusted EBITDA also reached a record £216.4 million.
However, the improvement in operating performance has not removed the club’s wider financial pressures. United recorded a pre-tax loss of £47 million for the year and have now posted losses for seven consecutive years.
The club also borrowed another £90 million after June 30, while spending £191.7 million on new players during the summer. Overall debt and outstanding transfer commitments now stand at approximately £1.15 billion.
Ratcliffe’s Minority Takeover
On February 20, 2024, Ratcliffe’s INEOS group completed the acquisition of a 27.7 per cent minority stake from the Glazer family, while the Glazers retained majority ownership.
The agreement, however, gave INEOS control of United’s football operations and placed Ratcliffe at the centre of the club’s sporting and operational restructuring.
The deal also included a commitment of up to $300 million for infrastructure investment.Since then, the cost-cutting programme has extended across several areas of the organisation, with the reduction in permanent employees becoming one of the clearest signs of the new approach.
United’s latest financial figures therefore present a mixed picture: operating performance has improved and EBITDA has reached a record level, but significant debt remains alongside substantial transfer commitments. The club’s challenge now is to turn those financial measures into a sustainable foundation while maintaining competitiveness on the pitch.
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