Premier League: How Much Money Can Manchester United Spend?

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There is a running joke that every highly valued player in Europe is being linked to United in a transfer every summer.

Before March, this trend had continued. Yet, the reality of the financial impact of the Coronavirus outbreak raises questions about how the club will do business. In an interview with Sky Sports‘ Gary Neville, United manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer stated that the summer transfer market could be “exploited” and that the club was “the biggest, financially well off.”

This interview was in April, and the use of the term “exploit” may have been ill-timed, however, given United’s financial reports, Ole may not be off the mark. The Red Devils have cash available to spend in the market this summer. The market is likely to be one that favors buyers as other teams who do not have the same financial stability may be looking to off-load player assets at lower prices.

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If all the transfer rumors have some level of truth, there are three names that are at the top of United’s target list. The question is whether or not the team can afford them.

Jadon Sancho appears to be at the top of the list. The 20-year-old Dortmund star is one of the Bundesliga’s best all-around offensive players and is a target for multiple English clubs.

His market value is $128.7 million. Dortmund have vowed not to sell him for under $100 million. BVB, also a publically traded business, reported a 45.4 million euro drop (37%) in revenue this past quarter. So it’s possible they could reconsider.

United definitely can afford Sancho at a reduced price, but they may not be able to acquire anyone else without selling off another player like loan returnee, Alexis Sanchez.

Aston Villa’s attacking midfielder, Jack Grealish, may be a much more affordable target playing in a similar position as Sancho. At 24-years-old, he fits into the young movement model United has been implementing in the last year.

His market value is at $33.5 million, which is well within United’s financial means, and Villa likely wants to improve their cash flow as smaller clubs have been hit the hardest by the pause in play.

Jude Bellingham is a 16-year-old rising star at Birmingham City and has been linked to Man U and Dortmund. He is a central midfielder and is an investment for the future for whoever lands his signature.

The market value for the English youngster is $12.1 million. Birmingham, in the Championship, maybe hard-pressed due to their finances to sell high or hold on to such a prized asset.

Based on Man United financial reports

Based on their financial reports, Manchester United has the cash on hand to obtain two of these targets. However, two issues will need to be addressed. One, the fiscal impact of the shutdown will eat away at their cash reserves, making transfers a lower priority than essential club operations.

They are also carrying around huge debt that ties them down. Second, Man United needs more than just a couple of transfers to compete for trophies. They need a striker, a midfielder, and a defender at a minimum. They will not have the financial means this next round to acquire all their targets.

Next. Newcastle makes Mauricio move. dark

All clubs have taken a financial hit during the shutdown. Manchester United’s quarterly report showed how severe it has been. They are one of the biggest clubs, and one can only imagine what smaller ones will have to suffer through.

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