‘I spoke to people there yesterday’ – Man United set to land extra £15m after surprising twist
Manchester United are not competing in Europe at all this season after an abysmal 2024-25 campaign.
Ruben Amorim’s side fell to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League, meaning they failed to qualify for any of the inter-continental competitions domestically.
To make matters worse, Man United were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham in the Europa League final, missing out on their last chance of securing Champions League football for this season.
However, as a result of missing out on Europe, United could be set to make some financial gains on their competitors.
Man United to raise money from mid-season friendlies
With no midweek games to play, Man United are exploring the possibility of playing mid-season friendlies in Saudi Arabia.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that the friendlies could earn the club up to £15million in revenue.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that football must come first, and the Red Devils cannot be driven by revenue.
Wyness added that the viability of the friendlies will depend on any injuries within the United squad and whether they will affect their performances in the Premier League.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “They could earn as much as £15m for a couple of weeks out there combined with a warm training camp.
“It makes sense, but again, football things must come first, not be driven by revenue. It’s going to be up to whether the squad has got injuries they’re carrying, whether this is just too much for them.
“The conditions shouldn’t be too bad in terms of heat. It’s already started to cool down in Saudi Arabia. I mean, I spoke to people there yesterday and they’re starting to see a change in the weather coming down from the 40s down to the high 30s at the moment. So it shouldn’t be too bad from that point of view.
“But still, you’re travelling with your squad. You’re going to have to keep them in match-day fitness situations. It isn’t like a training camp where you can let them relax as well and get a break.”
Man United’s £100m outlay revealed
Meanwhile, over the past decade, Man United have reportedly paid up to £100m in compensation to outgoing managers and coaching staff.
That is according to former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who claims that the Red Devils’ severance payments have increased over the past 10 years.
Borson previously told Football Insider Man United would have to pay Amorim £10million if they were to sack him.
The Manchester giants will likely want to avoid making that payment due to the amount of compensation they have paid out in recent years.
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