Manchester United cleared to play in Europa League but banned in bid to sign Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice
Manchester United part owner Jim Ratcliffe (Peter Byrne/PA)
Manchester United have been banned by Uefa from signing Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo under Uefa’s multi-club ownership rules after both teams were cleared to compete in next season’s Europa League.
But Manchester City will be allowed to complete the signing of Savio from within their own City Football Group (CFG) empire, having struck an agreement to do so before Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body opened proceedings into the latter’s ownership of Girona.
Like United and Nice, City and Girona were both cleared to compete in next season’s Champions League following “the significant changes made to the ownership, governance, and financial support of the concerned clubs”.
That included both Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos, deemed to hold significant influence over both United and Nice, and CFG having “transferred their shares in Girona FC and OGC Nice to independent trustees through a blind trust structure established under the supervision of the CFCB First Chamber”.
Uefa added in a statement: “Such blind trust was accepted by the CFCB First Chamber on an exceptional basis for the 2024/25 Uefa competitions.”
As expected, United and City were also banned, respectively, from signing players from Nice and Girona “whether permanently or on loan, directly or indirectly, from July 2024 until September 2025, with the exception of pre-existing transfer agreements that had been entered into before the opening of the CFCB proceedings”.
United had been linked with Todibo - who has also been the subject of a rejected £25 million bid by West Ham United - but will now not even be able to sign him next summer.
Ineos, given control of football operations by majority owners the Glazer family, said in a statement: “We are pleased with the positive decision from the First Chamber of the Uefa Club Financial Control Body which will see Manchester United play in the Europa League next season. The focus for Manchester United is on the season ahead and performance on the pitch.”
City, meanwhile, are on the brink of completing the transfer of Brazilian winger Savio, who starred for Girona last season while on loan from sister club Troyes.
CFG owns 47 per cent of Girona and a majority stake in Troyes.
