Weda na redundancies or dem don cut free lunches for staff, news wey dey surround Manchester United finances no dey positive. But fans dey wonder how dem fit fund di new sign of RB Leipzig striker, Benjamin Sesko, as di club dey try use £200m set di attack for next season. Wetin dey happen?
Di answer dey for wise financing wey dem dey use for summer transfers both in and out. Kieran Maguire, wey be football finance expert, tell BBC Sport, “If Manchester United sneeze, football go catch cold.” E mean say dem na di biggest brand for English football no matter di wahala wey dem dey face.
Sources from United don tell BBC chief football news reporter, Simon Stone, how dem go fit reach agreement for Sesko. E no easy, because co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe don talk say di club fit go bust by Christmas if dem no cut costs. But payment arrangements wey dey reach £130m for Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo don already dey arranged in a favorable way.
Na plan dem go use for Sesko deal sef, spread di payment over di length of di contract. Now, Marcus Rashford wey dey carry £325,000 a week for im loan move to Barcelona don help reduce cost, while Manchester United don collect £5m from Chelsea after dem pull out for Jadon Sancho deal.
Plus over £15m don enter di club from sell-on clauses wey involve Anthony Elanga, Alvaro Carreras, and Maxi Oyedele. Dem don even sell academy talent like Mason Greenwood and Scott McTominay last summer, and dem dey plan to sell some unwanted players before di transfer window go close, including Alejandro Garnacho. Talk about money matters, abi?
Even if di signings dey reach £200m, na just £40m a year and dem fit recover am by selling players wey dey inside di ‘bomb squad’, according to Maguire. Di club also raise money by reaching di Europa League final last season, but still dey struggle for di pitch especially after dem finish lowest for di Premier League last season. E no good o!
In June, di club announce annual core profit forecast of £180m-£190m, wey show say dem dey manage di finances well despite all di wahala. Di bid for Sesko fit rise to £73.8m, but include guaranteed payment wey reach £65.2m. If dis plan work well, their total transfer expenses dis summer go fit hit around £180m, di majority after Liverpool and Chelsea. E no go easy o!
Maguire come conclude say some of di scare stories wey fly around dey overblown. Manchester United no be as successful as dem self wan make am look, but e still dey do well. Di wage bill dey about half of di income, which dey very good by Premier League standards.
Dis all dey come after Ratcliffe tok say United don dey close to running out of cash. “We dey di process of change and e dey uncomfortable as fans dey vex, but we dey try to manage am well,” im say. E also ask where dem wan spend di money – for club running or to buy players?
Di matter different sha, as Sesko fit sign, but manager Ruben Amorim go need to sell some players first to fit improve di squad. E fit hard in terms of financial health because of di huge losses wey dem dey face, but we no go fit deny say United still dey strong because of dia big stadium and commercial revenues.
For now, dem still attract plenty ‘cash-carrying’ fans as dem dey look to build a better future. Football no dey play for small pikin, and if dem fit pull dis deal for Sesko, e go be serious statement for di coming season!
