Latest news with #OmarBerrada
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Man Utd chief gives major update on £2billion new stadium and reveals why ‘Wembley of the North' plan might NOT happen
MANCHESTER UNITED chief Omar Berrada has given the clearest indication yet that the club will only build a new stadium if it receives financial backing from the government. Earlier this year minority United owner and billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe unveiled ambitious new plans for a £2bn stadium which would hold 100,000 fans and be built next to the current Old Trafford. 6 6 Sir Jim said plans to regenerate the area around the stadium with 17,000 homes, shops, restaurants and hotels, would boost the UK economy by £7.3bn. But the plans could only go ahead if the surrounding area was developed using taxpayers' money. In a recent interview with Red Issue fanzine, Berada said: 'We still see the stadium as the catalyst for the wider regeneration project. "So we do need the government to commit to developing the area around the stadium for it to make sense. 'Without it it doesn't make sense for us to build the stadium as a standalone. "We believe that it could be a catalyst for one of the biggest, if not the biggest regeneration projects that this area of the country has ever seen. 'And it'll bring benefits for the wider community in terms of home, jobs, health, and all that, that can yield an enormous amount of positive impact. "Hopefully the government will support it and put the funds behind it.' Concept images of the ground have teased a huge wraparound scoreboard, along with a three-storey museum and canal-side restaurants as part of a vast fan village. If the plans do go ahead United will be able to continue playing at Old Trafford during the construction process, before demolishing the historic ground once they move into their new home. Man Utd reveal first pics of redeveloped 100,000-capacity Old Trafford in 'biggest regeneration scheme ever seen' During the announcement of the ambitious project, Ratcliffe said: "Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. "By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience, only footsteps from our historic home." 6 6 6 6
The Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Man Utd transfer news LIVE: United ‘want Ndidi', Garnacho exit LATEST, Barcelona eye Rashford LOAN, Mbeumo bid
Man Utd transfer struggles Manchester United are facing an uphill battle to move on some of their unwanted players, including one forgotten title-winning star. The Red Devils need to sell in order to bring in new signings beyond the addition of Matheus Cunha and possible arrival of Bryan Mbeumo. It's a situation that United have rarely found themselves in - struggling to find the funds to bring in their transfer targets. Their financial woes follow a shocking campaign last term in which they failed to qualify for Europe for the first time since 2015. And although they are safe with regard to FFP, United will need to sell before they can buy - backed up by chief Omar Berrada's admission that they "are going to have to balance the books" to United We Stand. Historically, selling isn't something that United have been particularly good at, with The Athletic reporting that club insiders have described departures as "an afterthought" in the past. While United have made just £105.5m in profit from player sales over the past five years, a figure dwarfed by the £508.6m and £435.8m that Chelsea and Man City have made in the same period.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Man Utd struggling to flog forgotten star despite him being a title winner as dismal player sales laid bare
MANCHESTER UNITED are facing an uphill battle to move on some of their unwanted players, including one forgotten title-winning star. The Red Devils find themselves needing to sell this summer in order to bring in new signings beyond the addition of Matheus Cunha and impending arrival of Bryan Mbeumo. 4 It's a situation that United have rarely found themselves in - struggling to find the funds to bring in their transfer targets. Their financial woes are born out of a shocking campaign last term, failing to qualify for Europe for the first time since 2015. And although they are safe with regard to FFP, United will need to sell before they can buy - backed up by chief Omar Berrada's admission that they "are going to have to balance the books" to United We Stand. Historically, selling isn't something that United have been particularly good at, with The Athletic reporting that club insiders have described departures as "an afterthought" in the past. While United have made just £105.5m in profit from player sales over the past five years, a figure dwarfed by the £508.6m and £435.8m that Chelsea and Man City have made in the same period. Sir Jim Ratcliffe also revealed that the club will have to foot an £89m bill this summer to pay off deals for players already at the club - including Jadon Sancho 's 2021 switch from Borussia Dortmund. There's plenty of players United can try and move on to raise funds for new incomings, but actually finding buyers is proving much more difficult. The Athletic claim that Old Trafford execs are struggling to find a market for forgotten man Tyrell Malacia, who spent the second half of last season on loan with PSV - ultimately winning the Eredivisie. 4 4 4 Malacia is surplus to requirements under Ruben Amorim, but there doesn't exactly appear to be a queue of clubs waiting to take him away from Manchester on a permanent exit. Jadon Sancho is another player that United would like to try and move on, but his mammoth wages are making things difficult. Gyokeres trying to force Arsenal move | Newcastle eye Rashford deal | Transfers Exposed SunSport revealed earlier this week that Jose Mourinho could offer a lifeline to the winger's miserable spell at United, offering £15m to bring him to Fenerbahce - a fee dramatically below the £73m the Red Devils initially splashed on the England international. Marcus Rashford is in a similar position, holding out for a big move to Barcelona, but seeing his options limited to predominantly loan offers due to his £370,000-per-week wages. Alejandro Garnacho is understood to be on a much lower wage, meaning he could drum up more interest in a permanent exit and a hefty fee. It's reported that United would like £70m for Garnacho, but it could be hard to command such a fee when it is clear the Argentine has no place in the squad under Amorim. Should he leave for £70m, he will become United's second highest sale in the club's history - a damning example of how poor they have managed their departures over the years. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the club's record sale, sealing his move to Real Madrid in 2009 for £80m. While Romelu Lukaku 's £63m switch to Inter Milan and Angel Di Maria's £53m departure to PSG are the only other exits that exceeded the £50m mark. While recent switches for Dan James, Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood are also in the top 10.
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Manchester United want to sell before they buy this summer. Will it work?
The last time Manchester United agreed the sale of a first-team squad member this early in a summer was more than a decade ago, when Dynamo Moscow signed Alexander Buttner for £4.4million ($6m at current rates) back in 2014. That should comfort any supporters concerned United are waiting to find buyers for the class of 2025's bomb squad. These are early days. We've got another 10 weeks of this. Advertisement However, this summer is different to Buttner's last at Old Trafford when the window officially opened on July 1. Now, the pre-Club World Cup mini-window and the Premier League's decision to allow for deals to be done from June 16 has made this a busier month than usual. There is another important difference this summer too, and it's more United-specific. Beyond the deals for Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, it is likely United will need to fund further signings through exits. After years of spending Champions League money on a Europa League budget, there is recognition at Old Trafford that, as chief executive Omar Berrada recently told United We Stand: 'We're going to have to balance the books.' This is not a club known for selling well, though. Chelsea and Manchester City have recorded £508.6m and £435.8m in profit from the sale of intangible assets — in other words, players — over the last five years respectively. Compare that to United's £105.5m over the same period. Those with knowledge of the club's previous transfer dealings, who spoke anonymously to protect relationships, put that down to departures typically being an afterthought. United never needed to worry about maximising fees for unwanted players because the budget was always there to sign replacements. Progress has been made. United's most recent financial results show until the end of March last season, they had recorded a £38.7m profit through player sales — a nine-month figure that surpasses every full-year total since Cristiano Ronaldo's £80m move to Real Madrid in 2009. Profit and loss is not the problem right now, though. As The Athletic demonstrated earlier this month, United have little to be concerned about under the Premier League's spending rules. To do more business this summer, they need cold, hard cash. At last count, United's cash reserves stood at £73.2m. Up until the end of March, a net £196m had flowed out of Old Trafford in cash on payments related to transfers, with much of that going on instalments for players signed in previous seasons. The club's third-quarter results revealed another £195.2m is due to be paid over the next year, including the cheque for £89m Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the club would write this summer even if they bought nobody. Neither of those figures reflect the instalments now owed for Cunha. United have access to more cash if required, with capacity to borrow £140m on their revolving credit facility. That could, theoretically, finance further spending without sales. But it would need to be paid back eventually, and would jar with Berrada's insistence on balance and restraint. Advertisement So it is easy to see why sales are preferred. Big ones, ideally, with as much paid up front as possible. Losing Bruno Fernandes in a mega-money move to Al Hilal would have left a gaping hole in Amorim's squad for next season, but from a financial perspective, it would have fit that criteria perfectly. If United were willing to consider a bid for their best player, imagine the relish with which they would greet firm offers for those out of favour: namely Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony. Rashford wants to play Champions League football and has made no secret of his desire to join Barcelona, with his brother Dwaine Maynard holding talks in the Spanish city last month, but Camp Nou officials are pursuing a deal for Athletic Club winger Nico Williams. That Rashford's future may only be resolved later in the window, as The Athletic reported in this week's DealSheet, makes sense given his ambitions, his status as one of United's best-paid players and his exile under Amorim. Loan interest outweighs permanent options for the moment. Garnacho's salary is more modest, but he could command a higher fee. A price of £70m has been communicated to suitors, reasonable for a young talent with potential. But as with Rashford, if Garnacho has no way back under his current manager and has to be sold, then why should buyers rush to meet United's demand this early in the window? Sancho's wages are an obstacle, as they were in attempts to move him on permanently before his loans to Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea. Another temporary move away is not as easy an option this time if United want to recoup a fee, a year out from the end of his contract. Antony is thought to be the closest to an exit, yet the question has always been how high Real Betis, with whom he has been on loan, can afford to go. Denilson became the most expensive player of all time when joining Betis for £21.5m in 1998. He remains the Spanish club's record signing. United are also struggling to drum up suitors for Tyrell Malacia, who also spent the second half of last season on loan. Despite ending the campaign as a Eredivisie winner at PSV, there is no firm interest in the left-back. Navigating all of this is Jason Wilcox, who sold heavily during his single summer window at Southampton, but it is easier to maximise fees for young, talented prodigies with Premier League experience like Romeo Lavia and Tino Livramento. Wilcox is in a much tighter spot, needing to move on more than one high-profile or well-compensated player who is clearly outside of the manager or club's plans, with little room for reconciliation. United have at least two, arguably three such cases. Advertisement That is not a position rich in leverage, especially at this early stage of the window. Circumstances could push buyers to raise bids or players to soften their own expectations and demands. But if United are to insist on sales before spending, the clock is against them more than it is against the field. And in the case of the two highest-earners on the chopping block, United need only think back to the last time they shifted them out the door to realise how long it can take. Sancho's loan to Chelsea was only completed after last summer's deadline had passed, following the submission of a Premier League deal sheet. Rashford was unveiled as an Aston Villa player on the eve of the January deadline, with talks only accelerating a few days prior. Such is the nature of negotiations. When deadlines appear, red lines disappear. Compromises are sought, solutions are found. But if selling unwanted players is the starting point for a wider rebuild, it cannot be delayed until the end of the window. If United are to both remain disciplined and invest beyond Cunha and Mbeumo, those solutions will have to be found sooner rather than later. These may still be early days in the window but time is already of the essence.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Goldbridge Raises Alarms Over Manchester United Transfer Planning
Manchester United Transfers: Goldbridge Blasts Club's Summer Inertia Amarim's Frustrating Wait In a typically fiery episode of The United Stand, Mark Goldbridge laid bare his frustrations with Manchester United's transfer inactivity this summer. Speaking on the podcast, he painted a vivid picture of managerial limbo, referencing the stark contrast between United's presumed new manager Ruben Amorim and Liverpool's Arne Slot. 'Let's contrast the holidays of Slot and Amarim,' Goldbridge began. 'Slot is the champion of England and is sat on holiday relaxing looking at his board get player after player after player.' Advertisement By comparison, Amorim is cast as a figure stranded in uncertainty. 'He can't be sat there in his shorts… with his little sangria going, I'm going to do this, this and this. He doesn't know what he's going to do because he doesn't know who he's got,' Goldbridge asserted. The implication is that Manchester United's failure to act decisively in the transfer window is stifling any meaningful preparation for the new season. Barriers to Progress Goldbridge didn't hold back in highlighting who he believes should shoulder some responsibility, including new CEO Omar Berrada. 'You've got Omar Berrada going, yeah, you know, it's fine. It's fine. It's one month.' With the club now in the crucial middle phase between the end of last season and the start of pre-season, fans and pundits alike are growing increasingly anxious. Advertisement 'We're smack in the middle of that period between losing the Europa League final and preseason proper kicking off. And we're not doing anything,' he stressed. Goldbridge also took aim at the club's transfer dealings, calling the situation with Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo emblematic of the dysfunction: 'We've been talking to them for three bloody weeks and we're talking in different languages. They're in London, not in bloody Lisbon.' Waiting on July The possibility that United are deliberately waiting until July 1 to engage in transfer business due to financial year considerations was also addressed. 'Do we think there's a possibility that United aren't doing any business until July the 1st because then it's a new financial year?' Goldbridge mused. However, he warned against this being used as a justification for delay: 'If that is the plan, it's just another financial thing. And if we start negotiating on July the 1st, we take three, four, five weeks to do a deal. So none of these players would be coming in until after the tour.' This delay could seriously compromise Ruben Amorim's ability to prepare for the upcoming season. 'That's one of the most frustrating things as a coach that you can have — I've got all these plans, but I don't know who I'm doing them with. Who's my striker? Who's my defender? Who's my goalkeeper?' Fans Left in the Dark Perhaps most concerning is the complete communication blackout from inside Old Trafford. 'It is very quiet at the moment because none of the players are at Carrington. None of the training staff are at Carrington. So, none of the people that can feed stuff out are there,' Goldbridge explained. Advertisement As fans scour Fabrizio Romano's updates only to see rivals pulling off deals, disillusionment grows. 'City and Liverpool have bought half their bloody transfers already and it's only June the 20th,' read one comment that Goldbridge echoed. Meanwhile, supporters like Dari tried to offer hope: 'If by July the 1st we still haven't done anything, then I'll start getting concerned.' Goldbridge was already there: 'I'm concerned already, mate.' If Manchester United are to salvage this transfer window and give Ruben Amorim a fair shot at building a competitive side, the time for action is now. Otherwise, Goldbridge's frustration could soon become the defining mood of the fanbase.
