Manchester United playing in next season's Champions League is vital for summer spending – with or without the Glazers – according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Will the Glazers sell Man Utd?
The ownership of the Red Devils is one of the biggest talking points in football at the moment, with the saga continuing to rumble on. Bids for the club have been tabled by Qatar's Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS Group, but the Glazers have rejected the first batch of offers.
Many United fans are desperate for the current owners to move on after an up-and-down era at Old Trafford, with many believing new owners could herald a new era, not least Gary Neville, who has spoken negatively about the Glazers, criticising their inability to redevelop Old Trafford, for example.
Tottenham's 1-1 draw away to Everton on Monday night has suddenly left United fifth in the Premier League, and while they are level with the north Londoners with two games in hand, there are now doubts over a top-four finish.
Will Red Devils secure a top-four finish?
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs admitted that securing Champions League football is imperative in terms of summer spending, regardless of who the club's owners are moving forward:
"I think the most important thing for Manchester United is qualifying for the Champions League, regardless of who any new owner may be, because that will impact the budget.
"If the Glazers stay, it will be because they've decided to be invested in the football club. Although that won't be popular with the fan base, if Manchester United qualify for the Champions League, and they [the Glazers] remain, they will need to spend.
"If they depart, the Champions League will still impact the budget come summer."
There is no doubt over the importance of Champions League qualification, as despite United showing their capability of signing good players regardless of their situation in the past, they risk falling behind their rivals if they are able to offer an immediate pathway to that competition.
Thankfully, they have two routes to reach it, with Europa League glory also guaranteeing them a spot, but they should still be expected to finish fourth at worst in the league given their aforementioned games in hand on Spurs.
There may be worries that United are running out of steam a little following a long season, but there is clearly enough quality for the Carabao Cup winners to get over the line, and victory at home to Brentford on Wednesday evening would help get back on track.