Sources: Man City to bank £10m windfall as Asian deal agreed
Man City expect to earn £8-10million from their pre-season tour of East Asia ahead of 2023-24, Football Insider has learned.
It was announced last Thursday (20 April) that City would play Atletico Madrid at Seoul’s World Cup Stadium in July as part of a three-game series in Asia.
The two other fixtures have not yet been confirmed but, as has been reported elsewhere, it is understood that City will also take on opponents in Thailand and Japan.
Man City parent company City Football Group own a 20 per cent stake in Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos and recently established a partnership with Singapore-based club Geylang International.
A commercial source familiar with City Football Group’s operations has told this site that City will likely charge seven-figure sums for each pre-season match in East Asia.
Sponsorship deals, merchandise sales, broadcasting rights and ticketing income mean the total amount they will earn from the tour will be around the £8-10m mark.
How much of that figure will be profit is not known, but the source identified hiring training facilities, contingency expenses, travel and accommodation as well as marketing and promotion as major overheads for a tour of East Asia.
It is the first time since 2019 that City will have travelled to the region, which is seen as a lucrative maturing market by industry experts.
Man City spent a portion of their last pre-season in the United States, a destination they have chosen multiple times over the last few seasons.
They have also visited China and Australia in recent years.
Sources have previously told this site that City have considered India as a possible focal point for a future pre-season tour.
In other news, Man City change mind on selling Jack Grealish in exchange for “superstar” signing.