Manchester United to be hit with massive penalty by Adidas every time they fail to qualify for UEFA Champions League: Reports

Manchester United will reportedly be charged a hefty penalty every time they fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League under the terms of their deal with Adidas.

The Red Devils, who finished third last campaign, are sixth in the 2023-24 Premier League table with 47 points from 28 matches. They are currently six points behind Tottenham Hotspur, who have played 27 league games, and eight points off fourth-placed Aston Villa.

According to The Times reporter Martyn Ziegler, Manchester United will be hit with a £10 million penalty by Adidas if they finish outside of a UEFA Champions League spot. The clause is a part of the Red Devils' new £90 million-per-year deal with the apparel company.

Manchester United, whose Adidas deal is set to expire in 2035, are currently under threat of missing out on a Champions League berth. But, they could qualify even if they finish fifth in the Premier League this campaign due to UEFA's new European Performance Spots.

As things stand, the two additional Champions League qualification places are set to be given to the Serie A and the Bundesliga. The Premier League are third in the European Performance Spots table and could still overtake the German league at the end of the season.

Chris Sutton predicts result of Manchester United's FA Cup tie against rivals Liverpool

In his column for the BBC, ex-Chelsea forward Chris Sutton predicted a 3-1 victory for Liverpool in their FA Cup quarter-final clash against the Red Devils this Sunday (March 17). He wrote:

"Manchester United have dug deep and got some good results against Liverpool in recent years. For example, they beat them 2-1 at Old Trafford at the start of last season. I know United fans might be getting excited about their 0-0 draw at Anfield earlier this season too – with what felt like about 2% possession."

Offering his honest thoughts on Jurgen Klopp's outfit, Sutton added:

"But Liverpool are getting key players like Mohamed Salah back to full fitness and if they turn up and perform like they did in the second half [of their 1-1 league draw] against Manchester City last weekend, then they are going to win – no doubt about it."

Sutton, who played for Chelsea 39 times during his career, concluded:

"There is some good news for United because their striker Rasmus Hojlund is going to be back from injury, and starting the game by all accounts. That is massive for them and gives them a far greater chance of getting through, but if Liverpool are anywhere near their best... they will still have too much for them."

Liverpool, who have lost just once in their last 21 outings, beat Southampton 3-0 in their FA Cup last-16 contest. Manchester United, on the other hand, triumphed 1-0 over Nottingham Forest in their last FA Cup tie.

As for the head-to-head record, the Anfield outfit boast a brilliant record against the Red Devils. They have won seven and lost just three of their last 18 overall outings against Erik ten Hag's side across competitions.