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Manchester United would miss out on £70 million if they fail to qualify for Champions League football next season.
The Red Devils currently occupy third place in the Premier League table and are level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, going into the final week of the season.
Manchester United-Leicester City fixture to decide who qualifies for Champions League
Liverpool and Manchester City have already secured first and second position in the English top flight. Manchester United, Chelsea and Leicester City are the three clubs fighting for the next two spots on the table.
Manchester United will face Leicester City on Sunday, in a pivotal clash for the top-four race. A draw would be enough for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men to secure a Champions League spot while Chelsea would qualify if they win or draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. If they lose, they would have to hope that Manchester United beat Leicester City.
The Foxes, on the other hand, must defeat the Red Devils to ensure a top-four spot without depending on the result from Chelsea's fixture. If they draw, they will hope that the Wolves beat Chelsea.
A place in the Champions League is crucial for Manchester United. Having highlighted Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho as their primary transfer target, various outlets have suggested that the Old Trafford outfit will only bid in excess of £50 million if they finish within the top four.
Apart from the £70 million, Manchester United could also lose £20 million from their kit deal with Adidas. A clause in their contract stipulates that their annual £75 million fee will be cut if they fail to qualify for Champions League football two seasons in a row.
The Manchester giants have been linked with some big-money moves this summer. Apart from Sancho, the club are also interested in Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish as well as Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake. There have also been suggestions that star midfielder Paul Pogba could be offered a new contract.
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On the departures front, Chilean winger Alexis Sanchez could leave for Inter Milan permanently while Chris Smalling has also been linked with a permanent move to AS Roma. The futures of Jesse Lingard, Diogo Dalot and Juan Mata are also far from certain.
Manchester United will go into the Leicester City match as slight favourites. The Foxes will be missing crucial members of the squad as James Maddison, Ben Chilwell and Christian Fuchs are all injured while star centre-back Caglar Soyuncu is suspended.
The Red Devils also have injury worries of their own. The absence of left-back Luke Shaw has been felt, with neither Brandon Williams nor Timothy Fosu-Mensah performing at the England international's level. Centre-backs Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones are out for the season while Eric Bailly is a doubt.
The Manchester United players looked drab and dull in their 1-1 draw against West Ham United in their previous fixture. Fatigue seems to be setting in, with captain Harry Maguire admitting that the scheduling of the fixtures has been ridiculous.
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