Ineos are desperate to avoid £160m Man United problem and now they have the perfect opening

Manchester United have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions at the first hurdle this season.

It means that for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign, Manchester United only have Premier League football to look forward to.

Michael Carrick is set to be appointed as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, and Jason Wilcox expects Champions League qualification this season.

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The only silver lining to having no European competition or any cup ties is that full focus can be put on the Premier League.

But that may not be the case if Ineos go ahead with their mid-season plans.

Ineos have perfect opening for Man Utd mid-season trip

It was first revealed back in October that United are considering mid-season friendlies to raise funds for the club after missing out on European football.

At the time, Ruben Amorim was open to a mid-season trip, accepting that United would have to find a way to make up for the funds lost by losing the Europa League final.

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Now that Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton means that United are out of the FA Cup, the fixture list for the rest of the season is already concrete.

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As pointed out by journalist James Ducker, United won’t have a game between February 10 and February 23, which is a perfect opening for Ineos to plan a mid-season trip.

Alternatively, United also won’t play between March 4 and March 14, although the official kick-off times of those matches have not yet been confirmed.

The idea of travelling to Saudi Arabia for friendly matches has been floated, and Ineos could now advance that idea after FA Cup elimination.

Ineos want to protect Man United’s matchday income

Embarrassingly, United are set to play just 40 games this season, the fewest in club history since 1914/15.

In 2024/25 when United reached the Europa League final, matchday income soared to £160m – a new club record.

However, with no Europe this season and only two cup fixtures, United’s matchday income can be expected to drop drastically.

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It is reported that United could earn £10m from mid-season friendlies, so Ineos may see this as a way of cutting their losses.

It does, however, risk injuries to the first-team squad and could harm any match rhythm or momentum built up in the season.

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