Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada has hailed a sharp turnaround in the club’s finances, insisting that a sweeping off-field overhaul is beginning to deliver tangible results.

The Premier League club reported an operating profit of £32.6 million for the latest quarter, a dramatic improvement on the £3.9 million loss recorded over the same period a year earlier. Berrada said the figures reflect a deliberate strategy to streamline operations following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a significant minority stake in the club.

Since that investment, United have implemented extensive cost-cutting measures, including more than 250 redundancies across the organisation and a concerted effort to reduce the wage bill, notably among the men’s first-team squad. The club confirmed that total operating expenses for the quarter fell by £22.5 million to £173.9 million, an 11.5% reduction.

Employee benefit expenses dropped by £7.4 million to £75.1 million, a fall the club directly linked to “headcount reduction programs implemented during the prior year.” Berrada framed these cuts as part of a broader restructuring designed to support long-term competitiveness rather than short-term austerity.

“We are now seeing the positive financial impact of our off-pitch transformation materialise both in our costs and profitability,” he said, stressing that the club’s strategy remains “football first” despite the aggressive savings drive.

Berrada pointed to the performance of both senior teams as evidence that the belt-tightening has not come at the expense of ambition. United’s men’s side are pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League, while the women’s team sit near the top of the Women’s Super League, having also reached the League Cup final and the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

“Today’s results demonstrate the underlying strength of our business as we continue to push for the best football results possible for our men’s and women’s teams,” Berrada said.

Crucially for United, the club insists the improved numbers leave them in compliance with both the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations. That position will be closely scrutinised as the club approaches a potentially pivotal summer transfer window, with expectations that Ratcliffe’s arrival will eventually be matched by renewed investment on the pitch.