UEFA confirmed this week that more than 900 clubs have benefited from their Club Benefits Programme, with Manchester United receiving a payment of £2.7 million.

The scheme awarded compensation to clubs who had released players to participate in UEFA’s international competitions during the 2020–2024 cycle. The higher the number of players involved in such tournaments, the greater the financial reward for the respective club.

Unsurprisingly, given that only the highest calibre of players are typically selected to represent their national teams, the leading clubs in the Premier League dominated the upper end of the payment table.

Manchester City topped the list, receiving an impressive £4.4 million. Arsenal followed with £3.34 million, while Liverpool were close behind on £3.04 million — the trio currently occupying Champions League qualification spots, with the Merseyside club on the cusp of being crowned Premier League champions.

Next in line? Manchester United, despite languishing in 14th place.

United could have fallen as low as 15th had Tottenham Hotspur secured victory against Nottingham Forest on Monday evening, and there remains a genuine possibility that the Red Devils could slump to as low as 17th as they seemingly prioritise the Europa League in an attempt to salvage something from what has been a truly dismal season.

Of course, a financial injection of £2.7 million is by no means unwelcome, yet the published figures only serve to highlight the depth of United’s decline in recent years.

Earlier this season, Ruben Amorim candidly described the current United side as “perhaps the worst team in the history of Manchester United.”

Since that damning assessment — delivered in the aftermath of January’s 3-1 defeat to Brighton — the Red Devils have won just three of their last eleven Premier League fixtures, two of which came against sides destined for relegation to the Championship. Additionally, United were eliminated from the FA Cup by Fulham, rendering their domestic campaign a complete write-off before the month of April had even begun.

A significant squad overhaul is urgently required during the upcoming transfer window. There have been fleeting glimpses of encouragement under Amorim in recent weeks, with heavily rotated line-ups demonstrating that the manager’s philosophy and tactical principles remain consistent, irrespective of personnel.

However, these flashes of potential have yet to translate into tangible results, and the harsh reality is that United’s only remaining hope lies in their Europa League pursuit — it is now a case of ‘Europa League or bust’ for one of the world’s most storied football institutions.

While £2.7 million is unlikely to secure the elite striker the club so desperately requires, the sum will undoubtedly provide a modest boost to the summer transfer budget.

In a rather ironic twist, the payment has only served to further underline the scale of the challenge facing Manchester United as they seek to rebuild and restore former glories.