Ed exit may hold up Ole’s summer spending plans
UNDER normal circumstances, the Glazer family’s ownership of United would be untenable. They have suffered a first defeat in almost 16 debt-laden years of their absentee tenancy and were beaten not by money but by voices that reverberated across the Atlantic and were heard even in Tampa.
It is safe to assume the Glazers will not own United for another 16 years, although another year is enough cause for dread.
They are not invested in the club in either sense of the word. Joel Glazer has not attended a United game in more than two years and the last time a Glazer was at Old Trafford was in August 2019. They might never step foot back in Manchester again.
Just when United had completed their restructuring of the football side and attained stability, they are on shaky ground. The de facto chief executive has resigned and Ed Woodward’s departure date is expected far sooner than the end of the calendar year.
Now John Murtough has been installed as the football director, Woodward is no longer the first port of call for transfers. His expected summer exit still contributes to the instability as Joel Glazer mulls over Woodward’s replacement in time for the summer transfer window.
United’s last three chief executives Woodward, David Gill and Peter Kenyon - have all been internal appointments. The managing director Richard Arnold is a Glazer acolyte and would represent continuity.
Although Murtough and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer settle on targets and Matt Judge executes the deals, the chief executive is required to sign off on them.
United have 23 global partners, 13 financial partners, 14 media partners and three regional partners. Yet their partnership with Aon - sponsors of their Carrington training complex and training kit for the last eight years - is about to expire.
They are also in the market for a new automobile partner after Chevrolet sped off.
Money for transfers is already tight amid the pandemic and the new TeamViewer shirt deal represents an annual drop of £17m on United’s expiring partnership with Chevrolet.
Arnold said TeamViewer were not the highest bidder and ‘what they bring to us is way beyond money’. A centre forward would be ideal.
On the football side, there are too many question marks over too many players’ futures when United are gearing up for a credible title challenge next season.
The ‘clear progress’ under Solskjaer is shown by United rising from third last season to second this season. There is only one way to go next season.
Between them David de Gea, Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, and Edinson Cavani earn around £1.125m a week in wages. United need to sell if they are to come close to recruiting all of their targets and could bank the best part of £150m if they decided to cash in on De Gea, Bailly, Pogba and Lingard this summer.
The summer is already compromised by the European Championship and France’s focus is so intense their coach Didier Deschamps bans agents from entering their hotel during major tournaments.
The final is on July 13 and the new Premier League season starts on August 14. The window closes in late August but will feel shorter.