MANCHESTER UNITED are staring at a £70MILLION black hole if they fall at the final Champions League hurdle on Sunday.
And Chelsea also risk losing out on £50m should Frank Lampard’s side stumble against Wolves.
A point for United and the Blues will be enough on the season’s final day.
Defeat at Leicester would see the Foxes leapfrog United — who could drop to fifth and end up back in the Europa League if Chelsea also get a point at home to Wolves.
Champions League qualification is worth around £80m, in comparison to the £30m on offer in Uefa’s secondary competition.
But United would face a further £20m cut as part of their kit deal with adidas, which states a reduction in the annual £75m fee if they fail to qualify for Champions League football for two straight years.
The financial costs of missing out will be all the greater in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis and the £330m TV rebate shared between the Prem clubs.
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United have missed out on around £20m in gate revenue from the four matches played behind closed doors since last month’s restart.
The Old Trafford outfit have helped fill the financial void with a £140m loan from Bank of America.
United, though, could still make the Champions League even if they finish fifth but would need to win the Europa League when it resumes after a 21-week break next month.
