Manchester United are set to bank an additional £9million after it was announced that the club will embark on a post-season tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong. United will play two friendly matches next month in what is their first post-season trip abroad in the modern era.
Ruben Amorim’s side will face ASEAN All Stars in the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on May 28 and Hong Kong, China in the Hong Kong Stadium on May 30. That means United will fly to Malaysia immediately after their final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa on May 25.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the trip is set to generate around £9m which will come as a huge boost with United set to lose out on significant revenue due to their poor performances this season unless they can win the Europa League.
“We appreciate the amazing level of support that Manchester United enjoys around the world,” CEO Omar Berrada said. “And this summer, we are delighted to deliver a schedule that provides our fans in Asia, Scandinavia and the United States the opportunity to connect with the club and watch the men’s first team play live in local settings.
“Importantly, Tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch. They also create unique opportunities for us to collaborate with our valued commercial partners, and to deepen relationships with our fans in regions such as Asia and the US.”
Post-season tours have been widely criticised amid concerns over player workload, with Alan Shearer branding Newcastle and Tottenham’s one-off friendly in Australia shortly after their campaigns ended last summer “madness”.
However, United have found themselves close to breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules in recent years. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has implemented a raft of cost-cutting measures since taking control of football operations.
Ratcliffe even claimed last month that United “would have run out of cash” by the end of 2024 if he had not made major cuts. “I don’t enjoy reading the newspaper very much these days I have to say,” he told BBC Sport.
“I know it’s unpopular, and this period of change is uncomfortable for people, and some of the decisions we have to make are unpleasant. But they are necessary to put Manchester United back on to a stable footing.
“If people want to see Manchester United winning trophies again then we have do all this stuff. Manchester United would have run out of cash by the end of this year – by the end of 2025 – after having me put $300m (£232.72m) in and if we buy no new players in the summer.
“We are in the process of change and it’s an uncomfortable period and disruptive and I do feel sympathy with the fans. The simple answer is the club runs out of money at Christmas if we don’t do those things.
“We are not perfect, and we are on a journey, and there have been a couple of errors along the way, but I think in the main all the things we are doing are the right things for the club.”
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