Will MU have the chance to reunite with “old friend” Cristiano Ronaldo in a friendly match in Saudi Arabia?
💰 MU negotiates to “make money” in Saudi Arabia
According to The Athletic, MU is considering holding a friendly match in Saudi Arabia during the middle of the season. This is the time when the “Red Devils” have a long break in the middle of the week due to not participating in the European Cup. Losing a ticket to participate in continental tournaments will cause the Old Trafford team to lose an estimated 85 million pounds.
A friendly in Saudi Arabia not only brings in a lot of revenue for the “Red Devils”, but also gives them the opportunity to train in warm weather conditions in winter. Big clubs like Newcastle have also chosen the West Asian country as a mid-season training location.
In January 2023, PSG held a friendly match in Riyadh with the Saudi Pro League stars. At that time, Marc Armstrong – who is currently the MU Business Director – was the PSG Business Director and was behind the success of this trip.
👥 Possibility of reuniting with Ronaldo According to Daily Mail, there is still no official agreement signed between MU and its partners in Saudi Arabia. Another attractive factor if the “Red Devils” organize a friendly match in Saudi Arabia is the possibility of reuniting with Cristiano Ronaldo – the club legend and currently playing for Al Nassr. However, if they want to organize this match, the Old Trafford team must comply with the regulations of the Premier League . Specifically, clubs are not allowed to organize friendly matches if they “negatively affect domestic matches”, or before the official match schedule is announced. 📉 Financial burden weighs heavily on MU In the 2024/25 season, MU recorded a record revenue of 666.5 million pounds, but they still suffered a net loss of 33 million pounds. Compared to the loss of 113.2 million pounds in the 2023/24 season, this figure has improved. Meanwhile, the debt from the Glazer family’s takeover remains at 650 million USD . Thanks to exchange rate fluctuations, the debt converted to British pounds has decreased from 511 million pounds to 471.9 million pounds. The club also spent £36.6m on “special items” – mainly compensation for former manager Erik Ten Hag and his coaching staff. Total operating expenses were £733.6m, down £34.9m on the previous year. Player wages alone fell £51.5m to £313.2m. Other operating expenses increased by £21m to £170.4m due to the club’s transition to a new e-commerce model.
The above financial figures do not include the large expenditure in the summer transfer window, when MU spent nearly 200 million pounds to recruit 4 new players: Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens. Previously, the club also earned about 8 million pounds from the tour in Malaysia and Hong Kong (China) after the 2024/25 season ended.
