MANCHESTER UNITED co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly fears the club could go BUST – unless he radically cuts costs.
SunSport revealed on Tuesday the United chief is set to axe up between 100-200 more staff at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe paid £1billion to acquire 27.7 per cent of the Premier League club last year.
The 72-year-old has since taken a sledgehammer to United’s finances.
He made 250 of the 1,150 workforce redundant last July and has incensed fans by cutting pay to club ambassadors, including ex-boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
According to the Guardian, Ratcliffe has indicated he “has little choice” but to cut costs considerably across the club.
United lost £300m over the past three years – but the United co-owner is confident he can turn things around in two seasons.
Insiders told the outlet United would have “run out of cash” had Ratcliffe not injected £240m last year.
And Ratcliffe is prepared to keep going with his cost-cutting – despite knowing it is hugely unpopular with fans.
Almost EVERY United player could be up for sale this summer at Old Trafford.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
It’s been a dismal season on the field, with the Red Devils currently languishing in the bottom half of the top flight.
Manager Ruben Amorim admitted relegation was a “possibility” and called his side the “worst United team in history“.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Inside Marcus Rashford’s demise from one of football’s biggest stars to £60m benchwarmer” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6368070098112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]To get around PSR rules, homegrown stars such as Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo look set to be sold before investment can begin on the team.
United were quiet in the January window, bringing in Patrick Dorgu for £25m from Lecce and youngster Ayden Heaven from Arsenal.
Ratcliffe has ambitious plans for Old Trafford and the surrounding area.
He wants to build a “Wembley of the North” on the current site – at a cost of nearly £2bn.
The club are still deliberating whether to invest in Old Trafford or move to a new 100,000-seater stadium.
A decision is expected on the Government-backed plans before the summer.