Chelsea has declared a $350 million pre-tax loss for the 2024-25 year, the largest single loss reported by any Premier League club since the competition began in 1992. The figure, announced as the club closed the 2024-25 campaign, sits above previous high losses recorded by other top-flight teams and follows reporting that Chelsea paid player agents more than any other Premier League club.

The club reported revenue of $654.8 million, the second-highest in the club’s history, but outgoings outstripped income by a considerable margin. The $350 million loss is listed at the top of a ranking that includes Manchester City’s $263 million loss in 2011 and several earlier Chelsea entries, including $208 million in 2021 and $207 million in 2023.

Sporting performance offered counterpoint to the financial figures. Enzo Maresca led Chelsea to two trophies in the period, winning the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup last summer. The Club World Cup triumph in the United States, against Paris Saint-Germain, brought a $114.6 million prize and the club lifted the trophy alongside President Donald Trump.

Reports from BBC Sport and the Football Association show where much of Chelsea’s spending went. Agent fees at the club reached $86.6 million, the highest sum recorded among Premier League clubs. That total sits ahead of Aston Villa ($51.1 million), Manchester City ($49.7 million), Liverpool ($45.1 million) and others in the top ten for agent payments.

Agents are entitled to agreed portions of transfer fees and related bonuses, and the figures underline how negotiating terms with intermediaries has become a significant cost for the club. News of the losses and elevated agent expenses will increase scrutiny over how Chelsea manages compliance with Premier League regulations going forward.

Harry Maguire has been charged by the FA over alleged improper conduct following his dismissal against Bournemouth, a development that could cost Manchester United the England centre back for the pivotal home meeting with Chelsea later this month.

United were frustrated that contact with Evanilson led to a penalty at the other end when Amad Diallo did not receive one in similar circumstances. Maguire protested to Atwell and then appeared to direct his anger towards fourth official Matt Donohue. Almost two weeks later the FA conveyed the charge over the allegation of Maguire acting in an “improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards the fourth official following his dismissal.”

Maguire has until Thursday, April 2 to respond and provide any mitigation. He is already suspended for the upcoming visit of Leeds United to Old Trafford on April 13 after receiving an automatic one-game ban for the red card at Bournemouth.

What follows depends on the response and any evidence offered. The FA’s disciplinary rule covering improper conduct is broad and carries no standard sanction; punishment is determined case by case. Acceptance of the charge combined with remorse could prompt leniency and a lighter outcome. Mitigating evidence could lead to the charge being dismissed. If Maguire contests the allegation and it is upheld, any additional punishment could be more severe.

The range of possible outcomes runs from a fine and/or a warning about future conduct to additional matches added to his existing suspension. Manchester United will be without Maguire for the Leeds match regardless. An extended ban would rule him out against Chelsea five days later. The Red Devils also face Brentford before the end of April, but adding two more games to the suspension is described in this context as unduly harsh.

The Chelsea fixture carries major significance for United’s European prospects. A win would widen the gap between Michael Carrick’s team and the Blues, who sit sixth, and could move United closer to securing a return to the Champions League next season.

Manchester United will send fewer representatives than usual to the 2026 World Cup in North America. Several members of the squad will spend the summer recovering and preparing for the 2025/26 campaign rather than competing at the tournament. Some players simply did not make their national squads, while others will miss out because their countries failed to qualify.

Patrick Dorgu is among those who will be absent from the finals. He was unavailable for Denmark during its critical European playoff clashes with North Macedonia and Czechia due to injury. The match against Czechia ended in misery for Denmark as missed penalties in the shootout—including one skewed by Rasmus Højlund, still technically a United striker—proved costly at the end of a 2–2 draw after extra time. Denmark failed to progress and will miss only its third World Cup of the century. That outcome is disappointing for Dorgu but offers Manchester United the chance to reintroduce the versatile full back gradually once he is fit.

Bryan Mbeumo enjoyed a fine debut season at Old Trafford, but his summer prospects were affected by international disappointment. The 26-year-old had hoped to represent Cameroon at his second World Cup, yet a disappointing qualification campaign leaves him with an empty summer. Cameroon finished second in qualifying, dropping into the CAF playoffs where a win would have delivered a place in the inter-confederation playoffs. Instead, defeat to DR Congo on penalties in the semifinal ended Cameroon’s hopes of reaching North America. Mbeumo will now wait until 2030 for another chance to play at the World Cup.

Benjamin Šeško has seen his slow start at Old Trafford transform since the turn of the year. The towering striker has been in excellent form for his new club, producing a string of crucial goals for interim manager Michael Carrick as United pursue Champions League qualification. His club form means the focus for Šeško this summer will be on maintaining momentum with Manchester United rather than international action at the World Cup.