Ineos look to avoid £160m Man United shortfall as perfect opportunity opens up

Manchester United have crashed out of both domestic cup competitions at the first stage this season.

That leaves only the Premier League for Manchester United to focus on for the rest of the 2025/26 campaign.

Michael Carrick is set to step in as interim head coach until the end of the season, with Jason Wilcox aiming for Champions League qualification.

The one positive is that without European or cup fixtures, all attention can be directed towards league matches. But that could change if Ineos decides to move forward with their mid-season plans.

Ineos may have found the right time for Man Utd’s mid-season tour

Back in October, it emerged that United were looking into mid-season friendlies to help cover some of the financial shortfall from missing out on European football.

Ruben Amorim was open to the idea at the time, recognising that the club needed to find ways to offset the losses from their Europa League final exit.

Their 2-1 defeat against Brighton means United are now out of the FA Cup as well, leaving a fixed schedule for what’s left of the campaign.

As pointed out by journalist James Ducker, there’s a gap in fixtures between February 10 and February 23 – a window that Ineos might use for a tour.

There’s another break between March 4 and March 14, though match times for those dates still need confirming. One option being discussed is a trip to Saudi Arabia for friendlies, an idea that could move forward now with no cup ties remaining.

Ineos look to shore up United’s matchday revenue

It’s a stark reality for United, who are on track to play just 40 matches this season – their lowest total since the 1914/15 campaign.

Back in 2024/25, the club reached the Europa League final and saw matchday revenues hit £160m, setting a new record for United.

This year tells a different story. With no European fixtures and just two domestic cup ties, matchday income is expected to take a sharp downturn.

There’s talk that mid-season friendlies could bring in around £10m, giving Ineos an option to offset some of those losses.

But there are risks involved. Additional matches could lead to injuries or disrupt any momentum the team manages to build over the season.