'Keep An Eye On This' - Top expert drops devastating Man United points deduction verdict

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has revealed Manchester United will be close to a profit and sustainability (PSR) breach if their exceptional costs aren’t approved.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – admitted it seems wrong for the Glazers to have loaded the debt of their consultancy fees onto the club during the sale process to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Man United reported on 10 July a £71.4million net loss for the first three months of 2024, potentially putting them at risk of breaching the PSR rules and landing a points deduction as a result.

The figures show they spent £40million in exceptional costs related to Ratcliffe buying his 27.7-per-cent stake in the club in February this year.

The Premier League giants paid Raine Group around £30million after the Glazers appointed the New York-based investment banking firm to help them find a buyer.

Man United exceptional costs not legitimate football expenses

But Wyness doesn’t believe those fees should be classed as a legitimate football expense, raising questions about whether the club have passed PSR.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “The interesting number is there is between £35-40million that have been assessed on the charges around the transaction when Ratcliffe bought the Glazers’ shares.

“The club have ended up paying that £35-40million when it has been the Glazers who have benefited from the sale of their shares.

“I find it very hard to understand why that could be allowed when it’s for the Glazers’ benefit and not the club’s benefit.

“Loading that onto the club does seem wrong. I’m presuming that they have had that cleared by the Premier League, which raises other questions, but maybe they haven’t yet.

“I would keep a close eye on that because that seems wrong that those sorts of charges can be passed on.

“If they are not approved, then that would bring them very close to a PSR breach. We are going to have watch this closely.

“They haven’t got unlimited resources, but they shouldn’t be breaching these sorts of things.

“Certainly, £40million being lumped onto the club rather than being paid by the Glazers or Ratcliffe around a share transaction does not seem like a legitimate football expense to me.”

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