Reds face a financial body blow

MANCHESTER UNITED are braced for another major financial blow should they fail to clinch a topfour place this season.

German tech giants Teamviewer replaced Chevrolet a year ago as United’s main shirt sponsor in a five-year deal worth around £235million.

But performance-related bonuses included in the £47m-aseason contract will disappear if United miss out on the

Champions League.

It is a similar story with kit supplier Adidas who have a Champions League clause in their record £750m agreement.

The pending body blow follows another season of underachievement at Old Trafford, as well as the financial fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

While United remain an attractive prospect for big sponsors, the club has had to cancel a major deal with Russian airline Aeroflot.

The international outcry over the invasion left United with little option but to ditch their nine-year association with the state-owned airline.

Officials are now counting on the club’s traditional pulling power to make up the shortfall, with many companies still keen for an association with Old Trafford and access to big-name players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.

While it is true that the team’s failure to land big trophies in recent years is yet to seriously impact sponsorship revenues, bosses at United’s Mayfair commercial offices know it is vital to get back on track soon.

Rival rivals such as Man City and Liverpool have been far more successful on the pitch in recent times – and have also closed the revenue gap significantly.