In fact, it's a very attractive offer, but what impact will the choice of selling the captain for money have?

Manchester United lost 0-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League final for the 2024-2025 season held at the Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain, on the 22nd (Korean time).

Thus, Manchester United bowed their heads in a do-or-die match that hinged on their return to European competitions and qualification for the Champions League. This final defeat, which had about $100 million at stake in terms of revenue, resulted in a loss greater than just a trophy.

From the beginning of the match, Manchester United struggled against Tottenham's strong pressure and transition play, conceding the first goal to Brennan Johnson in the 41st minute of the first half. After a cross from the left flank was deflected off a defender, Johnson managed to get his foot on it again and shook the net.

Trailing 0-1 at halftime, Manchester United launched an all-out offensive in the second half. In the 68th minute, a clearance by goalkeeper Vicario was headed towards a consolidation by Hoilun, but defender Micky van de Ven made a crucial clearance on the goal line. They created several chances, but there was no finishing touch.

During the middle of the match, Son Heung-min was brought in as a substitute, and Tottenham strengthened their counter-attacks and forward pressure. Manchester United continued to seek an equalizer until the end of the second half but failed to score, ultimately losing 0-1 despite being given 7 minutes of stoppage time.

As a result, Manchester United remained as the runners-up in the Europa League and failed to secure participation in European competitions for the next season. The final chapter of a season-long rebuilding under manager Rúben Amorim ended with a bitter conclusion.

For Manchester United, this Europa League final was not just a trophy competition but a '100 million pound final' tied to the club's future.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) noted before the match that "whether or not Manchester United qualifies for the Champions League has a significant impact on the club's overall financial structure." In fact, Manchester United has accumulated losses of about 559 billion won over the past three years and has liabilities exceeding £1 billion (about 1.8648 trillion won), along with a penalty clause of £10 million (about 18.5 billion won) in its contract with Adidas.

Financial expert Kieran Maguire analyzed that participating in the Champions League could generate a maximum revenue of £100 million. However, Manchester United lost 0-1 to Tottenham in this final, failing to qualify for the Champions League, which makes a complete revision of the rebuilding plan inevitable.

The atmosphere in Manchester United's locker room was very chaotic. In fact, captain Bruno Fernandes directly mentioned that he could leave the team, which shocked many. He has consistently maintained that he is happy at Manchester United despite ongoing transfer rumors to Saudi Arabia. This reversed position surprised many.

Due to Manchester United's failure in the Europa League, discussions about Fernandes' move to Saudi Arabia are resurfacing. He stated, "I have told the club many times that I want to stay. But if Manchester United tells me to leave, I will leave," adding that "honestly, I want to continue playing at Manchester United, but if the club says to leave, that's football."

Fernandes stated, "If the club says I have to leave due to financial difficulties, then I think that's how football works," adding, "There are no guarantees in football. I have always thought like that, and I still do. If the club wants to cash me in, I will gladly follow suit."

Following that interview, transfer rumors regarding Fernandes gained momentum. Reports suggest that a Saudi club is seriously attempting to acquire Fernandes. The British publication The Sun reported that "Al Hilal of the Saudi Super League is seriously pushing for Fernandes' acquisition," stating that the conditions include a transfer fee of £115 million (about 213 billion won) with a weekly wage of £1 million (about 1.8 billion won).

"The Sun" emphasized that "Fernandes loves the club but is well aware that he could be sold due to financial difficulties. Additionally, given that Manchester United's situation under Amorim is unstable, change may be necessary. Al Hilal, aware of Manchester United's situation, is preparing for a formal approach. Ultimately, much depends on Manchester United's financial condition."

[OSEN]