Kieran Maguire: Man United can reach the ‘next level’ after Rick McGah deal agreed
Man United can reach the “next level” of revenue generation through further engaging with their global fanbase.
So says finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about United’s masterplan under new CEO Richard Arnold.
Arnold, who previously held the role of managing director, took over from Ed Woodward at the beginning of February.
The Athletic reported on Tuesday (15 February) that Arnold has named Rick McGah as head of fan engagement in his first senior-level appointment.
McGah’s focus will be on the club’s overseas fanbase with a view to accessing untapped revenue potential, predicts Maguire.
“This is the goose that could lay the golden egg,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“United and other clubs have been trying to reach the next level this for the last 15 or so years.
“Overseas fans can’t get to Old Trafford for a variety of reasons. This is a way of turning that fanbase into money.
“Clubs would like to go down a fan token-based route. They are aware that there is opposition to this because many observers consider it to be gambling.
“Also, the rewards for such engagement appear to be very vague and lacking substance.
“But the club claims to have 1.1billion fans. In a pre-Covid year, it was making £627m, which is 57 pence per fan, per year.
“If they can turn that into £1 per fan, per year that would completely reset their finances and make them very difficult to compete with.”
United signed a new training kit deal with Tezos last week.
United’s turnover for 2020-21 was £494m.
In other news, pundit fumes at “terrible” Man United stars after Ralf Rangnick reveal.