It looked like Manchester United were going to be without European football next season after Erik ten Hag’s men finished eighth in the Premier League, with Chelsea and Newcastle United clinching the final European spots.
That all changed last week when United beat cross-city rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final, however, with Newcastle dropping out of the conversation.
That win landed United a spot in next season’s Europa League group stage but that was immediately thrown into doubt after the realisation that OGC Nice, also owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, had also qualified for the tournament.
Now, United have been handed a huge boost as fears of being thrown out of the Europa League have been eased.
According to The Times, UEFA are set to allow sister clubs to feature in the same competition, meaning there is no obstacle for Nice and United to potentially play against each other in the Europa League. Girona and Manchester City, also under the same ownership, will also reap the benefits of UEFA’s ruling.
It’s safe to say that the United hierarchy will be releasing a sigh of relief as the prospect of no European football is a damning one for the Old Trafford club.
The financial impact it would have, albeit not sitting at Europe’s fine dining table is already a blow in that respect, is of huge significance considering United’s economic state.
United are already facing a summer where they need to sell before they can spend freely, with some players already being lined up for transfers.
Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood, Christian Eriksen and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are among the players likely to be sold.
