Victor Osimhen has long been considered the kind of forward Manchester United need; explosive, relentless, and a proven scorer with the hunger to lead from the front but the club’s collapse this season may have closed the door on any hopes of bringing him to Old Trafford.
For the first time in a decade, United will not feature in any European competition, a damning outcome that leaves the club not only bruised in prestige but exposed to the brutal realities of financial shortfall.
A potential Europa League triumph against Tottenham would have softened the blow and guaranteed them a Champions League spot, along with around £70 million in UEFA revenues.
Instead, that route vanished with defeat, and with it, any realistic chance of financing a big-money move for a player like Osimhen, whose €75 million release clause and €12 million net salary are far from modest.
Financial freefall deepens Old Trafford gloom
United’s season unravelled long before the final whistle of their Europa League campaign, but the consequences have only just begun to sink in.
According to financial analyst Kieran O’Connor of Swiss Ramble, the club brought in roughly £30 million from UEFA TV money this season, income they now have to do without.
🚨 JUST IN: United’s total debt, including around £300M owing on transfers, is now in excess of £1BN.
Although the club is set to generate up to £160M this year from day-to-day activities, it means there will still be a 6th consecutive year of losses = £450M.
[@MailSport] pic.twitter.com/SbcPTvAYHh
— UtdXclusive (@UtdXclusive) May 20, 2025
Matchday revenues are also expected to dip by around £20 million next season, given the absence of midweek European nights at Old Trafford. And then there’s the looming £10 million penalty tied into their Adidas kit deal, triggered by missing out on Champions League qualification.
It all paints a bleak picture for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who after acquiring a 29 per cent stake in the club and taking over football operations, had already warned of looming issues with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
A reported £113.2 million loss in the last financial year adds to a rolling three-year deficit of over £300 million, numbers that threaten to limit the club’s ability to manoeuvre in the transfer market unless significant player sales are made.
this is good. whether they sell him or not manchester united are in big trouble. if they keep him they can't buy. he was purchased at €85million so if they sell him for €25m-30m (no italian team is paying more than that for that) they'll be in PSR radar for €60m. love it 🥹. https://t.co/F0SwAwmexK
— the void (@westpluto) May 22, 2025
While United did manage to post a £37 million profit in player sales last season and have banked sizeable sums from deals involving Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood, this alone won’t stretch far enough to land a player of Osimhen’s calibre.
In contrast to rivals like Manchester City and Chelsea, United have historically struggled to extract value from their outgoings, leaving them stuck in a cycle of underperformance and financial inefficiency.
Victor Osimhen’s ambitions, United’s reality
Elsewhere, clubs with Champions League windfalls in the bag; Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and even Tottenham stand in a far stronger position to lure the Nigerian forward.
Osimhen, who has netted 36 goals in 40 appearances this season and fired Galatasaray to both the Super Lig and Turkish Cup titles, has never hidden his admiration for the Premier League.
For a striker whose game thrives on intensity and big moments, England remains the ultimate destination.
But unless United can find a way to free up funds, take losses off the books, and rebuild a convincing sporting project, they may have to watch as another club triggers the clause and gives Osimhen the stage he’s been waiting for.
