Manchester United have left staff stunned after telling them up to 25 per cent of the club’s workforce will lose their jobs.
And the bombshell news comes less than 24 hours after United agreed to hand around £8m in compensation to Newcastle for new sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Daily Star Sport revealed in March how co-woner Sir Jim Ratcliffe intended to make drastic staff cuts across the board at Old Trafford.
READ MORE: Man Utd aiming to sign breakout Euro 2024 star with key advantage in transfer race
READ MORE: Man Utd slammed as Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘moves women’s team out of training building for men‘
Learn more
Now it has been confirmed following a series of meetings, which resulted in club bosses announcing up to 250 of the club’s 1,100 employees would be made redundant.
Ratcliffe hired one of the world’s leading consultants to review a significant restructuring of the club’s football operation.
What do you think of the cuts at Manchester United? Let us know in the comments section
(Image: Getty Images)
The billionaire has been desperate to make savings at United, in the wake of his £1.3billion deal to purchase a 27.7 per cent stake in the club. Ratcliffe believes United are overstaffed in several areas – and that the club would benefit from being more streamlined.
It’s understood Ratcliffe has consulted with fellow owners the Glazers about his plan – and the Americans agreed with him. United have the biggest staff of any club in the Premier League.
This figure is higher than main rivals Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal, who all have less than 1000 members of staff. Ratcliffe told the consultants he appointed to focus on United’s commercial, merchandising and match day departments in particular.
(Image: Getty Images)
United recorded a record turnover of almost £649m in October, although neighbours City surpassed this amount the following month, despite having fewer staff. Ratcliffe is renowned for streamlining companies once he owns them.
INEOS have developed a reputation for cutting staffing levels, with Ratcliffe focused more on quality than quantity.
Ratcliffe believes having fewer staff improves accountability, responsibility and creative ideas.