United's departure from European competition this season could have major repercussions for the club's ability to attract blue-chip sponsors, claims a sports marketing analyst.
The lost earnings from the tournament are worth a potential £15m, depending on progression through the tournament - but a further knock-on effect of their absence from the last 16 could be to make United a tougher sell to firms looking to associate themselves with a successful club.
Vodafone announced last month that they were to end their £9million-a-year shirt sponsorship deal two years early, cutting it short to May 2006.
And Oliver Butler, communications manager for sports marketing consultants Sport + Markt, believes United's elimination may hinder their efforts to find a suitable replacement.
"United are on the search for a new sponsor and their exit won't really help when they're trying to sell to international brands," he warned.
"There has been growth in revenue for shirt sponsorship among the top clubs and the prime reason behind that growth is the opportunity to appear in the Champions League, which has a global audience for brands to communicate to.
"If you're a club that isn't able to get into the second half of the competition then that has implications."