With their horrendous 4-0 defeat to Brighton on the south coast, Manchester United confirmed that they will not be playing Champions League football next season.

Their fifth straight defeat on the road, a new record for the club, has left them five points behind Arsenal with the Gunners having three games in hand on the Red Devils, and Ralf Rangnick’s side having just one game left of a dismal season.

They could yet slip out of the Europa League place and into Conference League football for next season, with West Ham trailing them by six points with two games in hand, but David Moyes’ side have won just one of their last 5 league games and look set to finish 7th.

And there is suggestion that Cristiano Ronaldo is considering his future, having held talks with Sir Alex Ferguson about his best course of action this summer.

For the other members of the squad, however, pay cuts are on the way.

Wage cuts due for poor performance

As one of the most expensively assembled and maintained squads in world football, missing out on Champions League football is unacceptable.

And the players will certainly feel that, with wage cuts of up to 25% set to come into effect as a result of their subpar season.

As per the Daily Mail, ‘up to a quarter of wages are taken away if United do not earn a place in Europe’s elite club competition, a move designed to protect the club from the drop in revenue that results from not qualifying.’

With a whole host of players set to leave on free transfers this summer, including some of the biggest earners at the club, the silver lining is that incoming boss Erik ten Hag will have plenty of wiggle room financially, but the hit of no Champions League could prove a major stumbling block.

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