Manchester United to sack a quarter of squad to prioritise football success

Manchester United are to cut their workforce by almost a quarter, with 250 staff to be made redundant.

Staff at the Premier League side were informed of the drastic changes that will take place across all departments in a series of meetings on Wednesday morning.

This comes after a major review was carried out following the acquisition of a stake in the club by INEOS, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Following the review, it was concluded that cuts were necessary as a first step towards elevating the club back into the top echelons of domestic and European football.

A redundancy process will therefore now take place and a significant number of staff are expected to leave.

With on-pitch performance a huge priority for INEOS, United have identified a number of drivers for the move, including cost-cutting measures to reinvest money into the playing team.

United also have the dilemma of complying with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which has also contributed to the decision.

Reports claim Manchester United had the largest workforce of the big six Premier League clubs, with 1,112 employees.

Compared, Liverpool They have 1,005, while Chelsea They employ 788, Tottenham 719, Arsenal 64 and Manchester City 520.

The review showed that staff costs had risen to an astronomical level and that the size of the staff does not reflect the level of the squad, having finished eighth in the table last season.

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The decision is believed to have been given the green light by majority owners the Glazers and those affected will be notified of the next step in the coming weeks.

Poor financial decisions on and off the pitch have ultimately led to a process where poor transfer business is at the forefront of the club's need to tighten the purse strings and put an end to non-essential activities.

Work has already started tunnel remodeling at Old Trafford, while INEOS has given the go-ahead for the club's Carrington training base to undergo a major refurbishment in a move that will cost around £50m.

In an interview last month, INEOS CEO Ratclife revealed he had seen “a lot of unpleasant surprises” at the club.

“I see the problem as an opportunity,” he told The Times. “There are plenty of opportunities to improve Manchester United everywhere, which is a good thing.”