Man Utd’s first post-season friendly revealed as part of controversial £8m plan

Manchester United will reportedly become the latest Premier League club to play friendly matches after the regular season finishes, with trips to Malaysia and Hong Kong on the agenda

Manchester United are set to play against an Asean All-Star team in Malaysia to begin their controversial post-season tour.

The Red Devils will reportedly follow in the footsteps of Premier League clubs who’ve jetted off after the regular season finishes for money-spinning trips. Last May, Newcastle and Tottenham played a one-off friendly in Australia which drew widespread criticism.

All-time Premier League record goalscorer and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer described the friendly as ‘madness’, at a time when players and managers are complaining of an increased workload leading to more injuries and diluting the quality of matches. But United are set to ignore the nay-sayers, with post-season tours becoming more enticing for Premier League clubs who want to keep in line with Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times report that Ruben Amorim’s side will visit the capital city of Kuala Lumpur on May 28 and face-off against an XI made up of players from southeast Asian nations, collectively known as Asean. The Red Devils, who’d bank close to £8million from the tour, would then fly to Hong Kong for their second and final friendly, with that opponent unknown.

The schedule means that Amorim’s squad will only get a brief rest before linking back up in early July ahead of a rumoured pre-season tour of the United States. According to the Athletic, the opportunity of a post-season tour is being presented to United by the TEG Sports, a global events company that originates in Australia, in partnership with a local Malaysian promoter.

Old Trafford chiefs are tightening the purse strings after confirming to supporters earlier this year that they were at risk of breaching PSR. Despite cutting 250 roles last year, the Red Devils have since announced that they’re putting 150-200 more jobs at risk.

“Manchester United is to transform its corporate structure as part of a series of additional measures to improve the club’s financial sustainability and enhance operational efficiency,” a recent statement read.

“The transformation plan aims to return the club to profitability after five consecutive years of losses since 2019. This will create a more solid financial platform from which the club can invest in men’s and women’s football success and improved infrastructure.

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“As part of these measures, the club anticipates that approximately 150-200 jobs may be made redundant, subject to a consultation process with employees. These would be in addition to the 250 roles removed last year.”

CEO Omar Berrada added: “We have lost money for the past five consecutive years. This cannot continue. We have a responsibility to put Manchester United in the strongest position to win across our men’s, women’s and academy teams.

“We are initiating a wide-ranging series of measures which will transform and renew the club. Unfortunately, this means announcing further potential redundancies and we deeply regret the impact on those affected colleagues. However, these hard choices are necessary to put the club back on a stable financial footing.”

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