Revealed: Man Utd rejected Bruno Fernandes' offer to pay for staff extras at FA Cup final with club captain 'taken aback' by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ruthless cost-cutting measures

United staff would normally be given free travel, accommodation, food and a ticket to the Wembley showdown, but new cost-cutting measures from INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe saw those benefits cut down to a ticket, while the employees had to pay £20 for the coach trip to Wembley, The Athletic reports.

United captain Fernandes was shocked enough by the reduction in perks for the staff that he confronted the club executives and offered to pay the costs out of his own pocket, but his proposal was rejected.

INEOS and Ratcliffe have implemented many such cost-cutting measures since assuming control of football business upon buying a stake in United. Many of the decisions, such as the plan to cut 250 jobs in the summer or the more recent revelation that bonuses to security staff have been cut, have faced heavy criticism from the club's fans.

The Red Devils are also aiming to either improve Old Trafford or build a new stadium altogether in what will be a multi-billion pound project. The club will need to raise money to fund the project and while UK government funds may be available, Ratcliffe has reportedly floated the idea of reaching out to billionaires Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk to invest.

The many austerity measures may not be popular, there is no sign they will slow down over the course of 2025. After all, United spent over £200 million on players in the summer transfer window before paying off coach Erik ten Hag and sporting director Dan Ashworth, who left just five months after his arrival.