The £20m FFP pressure on Manchester United to defeat Man City in the FA Cup final

Manchester United don't need any extra incentive to beat Man City in the FA Cup final this weekend. But they've got one, if they want it.

Erik ten Hag's side are looking to end their season on a high when they face their noisy neighbours at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, while City will be looking to add to their Premier League title triumph with another domestic double.

It is set to be an enthralling encounter, that could even influence Ten Hag's own future at the club, with United set for a huge financial blow if they do not win the trophy and subsequently qualify for the Europa League. United's trophy hopes not only rely on success in the FA Cup, but so do their hopes of playing in Europe next season after they finished eighth in the Premier League.

In every annual financial report, United warn that failure to qualify for the Champions League will 'result in a material reduction in revenue', while failure to qualify for any European competition will bring an ever larger reduction.

Failure to qualify for the Europa League could end up costing United as much as £20 million, a significant blow to the club as they look to meet Financial Fair Play regulations and comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.

It is estimated that taking part in the revamped Europa League league phase would bring in a guaranteed €4.31m with clubs receiving €450k per win and €150k per draw. Each team would play eight matches, so even if United only won half of those, and drew two they would expect roughly €2m extra in prize money. That figure would obviously grow even larger if they were successful in the tournament.

As well as that rough estimation of £5.39m in participation and basic prize money, United would also benefit from hosting at least four more matches at Old Trafford next season. Figures from football finance expert Kieran Maguire earlier in the year, suggested United make roughly £3.3m in pure profit per home match day after the deducted costs of hosting the match. That's another £13.2m

Then there is the actual prize money for winning the FA Cup. For this season, the FA Cup winners will receive £2 million in prize money this season, while the runners-up will receive half of that figure. It means there is also a £1 million bonus in winning the cup final rather than losing it, taking the overall figure up to almost £20 million.

It is worth nothing, that failure to participate in Europe would also likely result in some savings elsewhere, with The Athletic reporting the majority of United players receive a 25 per cent wage cut if they fail to qualify for continental competition. It has also been reported that from next season, United will face a £10 million penalty if they fail to qualify for the Champions League as part of their latest Adidas kit deal.