Manchester United has had plenty of gaps in their schedule this season with the absence of European Football and an early exit from the League Cup after an embarrassing defeat to Grimsby Town. The room has been filled on the training ground, but according to Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic there is consideration of scheduling midseason friendlies in Saudi Arabia in a bid to stay fresh and fit some warm-weather training into the winter schedule.
According to Whitwell’s report, the club has explored
the option as part of a bid to raise extra revenue, but there are no guarantees that a game will be arranged. As of now, the planning is still in the early stages among the club’s executive board.
A big factor in the decision will be revenue. The club’s debt has grown despite record annual revenues of £666.5m reported for the 2024-25 fiscal year, posting a sixth consecutive loss at £33m. The loss of European television revenue was a big blow to the club, losing as much as £85m by missing out on Champions League qualification via the UEFA Europa League Final at the end of last season.
The Reds have plenty of problems on the pitch as well. Manager Ruben Amorim remains under fire after a poor start to the season. A 3-1 defeat to Brentford last weekend has put even more pressure on the club to deliver a win at the weekend against Sunderland at Old Trafford. The newly promoted side is no pushover, and currently sits in fifth after a feisty start to their top-flight return, fuelled primarily by strong defensive performances.
