Even though they’re not doing brilliantly on the pitch under Erik ten Hag, Man United can apparently still pull in the big bucks commercially.
Though die hard Stretford Enders won’t necessarily be interested in how much money the club makes, even though it directly impacts the playing side of things, it’s important for the board to be able to budget well for certain aspects of the business.
The only way that they can therefore do that is by raising funds, and as football finance expert, Kieran Maguire, noted, that’s something that appears to come easy to the Red Devils’ commercial department.
Man United’s ability to make commercial revenue unparalleled
“Manchester United’s ability to monetise their badge is unparalleled as far as football is concerned,” Maguire told Football Insider.
“Everybody wants a slice of the pie, and companies are eager to have their name associated with the brand.
“To paraphrase former CEO Ed Woodward, Manchester United do not have to be winning football matches to be successful off the pitch.
“That is what we are seeing here and a £5million deal of this kind is good for all parties involved.“
That will surely be music to the ears of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team, as they ready themselves for the first full summer transfer window under their stewardship.
The sheer number of partners that want to associate themselves with the Red Devils doesn’t appear to be letting up if Maguire’s information is accurate.
It’s purely then a question of which brands the club wishes to work with on either a single campaign or and ongoing basis.
The more money that United, as a commercial driven enterprise, can make, then theoretically the more money that’s on the table for new signings.
Whether that’s money for Erik ten Hag or a potential successor is a moot point at the moment because the season hasn’t finished.
INEOS will almost certainly take their time to evaluate everything the Dutchman has done, including whether his signings have worked out or not before making their decision on whether to extend his contract or not.