Wrexham well placed to land ‘£5m’ windfall
Wrexham could receive a further financial boost amid talks with Man United over a pre-season friendly next summer.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who states that Wrexham and Man United could make “£5million each” from the contest.
Wrexham have been criticised lately for taking government money to fund stadium redevelopment at The Racecourse Ground.
Man United’s first quarter financial results showed the high amount of debt which is still rising at the club despite a £13m profit.
Man United and Wrexham discussing ‘high profile’ friendly
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 – is “surprised” that the friendly could take place in Scandinavia.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness though states that there would still be “big interest” in the match.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, you say it’s big money spinner, but I’m hearing that they’re looking at Scandinavia. Somewhere in Scandinavia is an option. Now, I don’t know which stadium it would be. I mean, look, we’re used to big money spinners in China or in the States, where there’s big stadiums, big crowds. So Scandinavia, I’m not quite sure where that would be.
“You know, if you’re in Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, it would have to be one of those three sort of venues. I don’t think Helsinki would be considered. So you’d have to think where it would be, but yes, I mean, look, it’s more high profile. Certainly there’d be big interest. They’d probably be able to sell international rights for TV for a friendly, which is unusual.
“So I think overall they would certainly market it very well, and that’s what they’d have to do. Normally these things are normally driven by ticket revenue, but in this case, they’ve got some extras that I think they can actually get in terms of sponsorship and broadcast.
“So there may be some additional things there to do, but I’m still surprised Scandinavia is the option. There will be reasons why. But yes, I think we’ll be looking at trying to make probably £5m each, I would suggest out of it, which is great for a pre-season friendly. If that’s the target, especially for Wrexham, then that’s big money.”
Wrexham hit with further promotion blow
Wrexham harbour ambitions to join Man United in the Premier League, but their hopes of promotion this season took another hit against Swansea.
The Red Dragons are winless in five Championship matches, despite manager Phil Parkinson having been given a £30m transfer budget last summer.
The gap to the final play-off place is now seven points for Parkinson’s side, who are at home to Sheffield United next.