Manchester United’s FFP position suffers while Everton is punished, and Manchester City must wait.

The international break can sometimes result in a club football slump when attention is diverted elsewhere. This time, no.

Everton were docked 10 points this week for breaking the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, dropping them into the bottom three and sparking speculation about what might happen to Manchester City, who were charged in February with breaking dozens of financial rules dating back to the 2009/10 season. Chelsea might also face penalty.

FFP has dominated the football news agenda and will undoubtedly be the focus of many a press conference in the run-up to this weekend’s top-flight contests. Three points against Everton is the aim for Manchester United, while off the field, the expected announcement of Sir Jim Ratcliffe having a stake in the club might transform the financial landscape.

The transfer market is unlikely to produce a war chest, and the recent FFP focus will have emphasized the significance of spending within means. The Premier League rules state that clubs cannot lose more than £105 million in three years, with exceptions for infrastructure, women’s football, and youth development, while United was one of several European clubs fined by UEFA for financial fair play violations committed between 2019 and 2022. The Reds were fined €300,000 (£257,000) for a’minor break-even shortfall,’ according to the club.

From a European perspective, UEFA issued new rules in June 2022 that, when fully implemented in 2025/26, will limit revenue spending to 70% on player and coach wages, transfers, and agent fees. It’s a rule that will benefit the best clubs, especially Manchester United.

However, the Reds have spent much of the summer telling intermediaries and other teams that they are walking carefully with FFP. The specific reason, other than using it as a negotiating technique, is unknown, as they spent heavily in 2022 and owe a significant amount to other clubs in transfer fees.

Nonetheless, United announced a record revenue of £648.4 million for the fiscal year 2023, and their annual total is consistently among the highest in Europe. Given their significant advantage over many of their competitors, they should be able to profit from the FFP restrictions.

While City and Chelsea await verdicts and potential penalties, United should aim to exploit the rules rather than break them.