Kieran Maguire: Man United in line for £24m-a-year boost – ‘it will pay for two players’
Man United will soon earn an extra £24million per season through the turnstiles – and that money can be used to pay the wages of two players.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about plans to add 15,000 seats to Old Trafford.
United have hired a team of consultants to draw up blueprints to improve the ageing facilities at the stadium.
The Daily Mail reported last Sunday (17 April) that redevelopment will see capacity boosted to 88,000 at a cost of £200m.
The Red Devils’ matchday income has flatlined at around £111m in recent years.
Maguire used average income per supporter to calculate how much extra revenue the new seats will bring in.
“In terms of the amount they generate per fan, per season, it’s about £1600,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“If you factor that in across another 15,000 seats, we’re talking another £24m per year. From their overall revenue, that is four to five per cent.
“You can do a lot with that money. It will effectively play for two players’ wages.
“They were not happy with being overtaken by Man City in terms of revenue and Tottenham in terms of matchday income.
“They will see this as an opportunity to reclaim ground in both of those areas.”
Old Trafford will be second only to Wembley Stadium in terms of stadium capacity in the UK after the redevelopment
Design work is being led by two leading agencies, Legends International and Populous.
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