TA: Manchester United seeks priority sales of players this summer to prepare cash flow for buyers

June 25th News TA wrote an article analyzing Manchester United's transfer strategy this summer, saying that Manchester United prioritizes selling first and then buying this summer, and will raise subsequent recruitment funds through player sales.

Now, the mini transfer period before the Club World Cup, coupled with the Premier League's permission to trade from June 16, makes this June busier than usual. TA said Manchester United has changed its previous transfer period strategy, and the last time Manchester United agreed to sell first-team players so early in the summer transfer window dates back ten years ago.

In addition to the two potential deals of Cunha and Mbemo, Manchester United is likely to need to raise subsequent signing funds through player sales. After years of dealing with the Europa League-scale budget with Champions League-level spending, club executives have realized that they must achieve a break-even.

However, Manchester United has never been known for its outstanding player sales ability. Chelsea and Manchester City have recorded profits of £508.6 million and £435.8 million respectively through the sale of intangible assets in the past five years. By comparison, Manchester United only had £105.5 million in the same period.

Several people familiar with the club's past transfer operations pointed out that this is mainly because the player's departure has always been considered a secondary matter. Manchester United never has to worry about how to maximize the transfer value of marginal players, after all, there is always sufficient budget to introduce alternatives.

However, the situation has improved recently. Manchester United's latest financial report shows that in the nine months ending March last season, the club achieved a profit of £38.7 million through player trading - a phased figure that has surpassed the total amount of any full fiscal year since Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid in 2009.

But the problem is not the profit and loss statement at the moment. As TA analyzed earlier this month, Manchester United has no need to worry about the restrictions on Premier League profit and sustainability rules. If they want to make more transactions this summer, they need real cash flow.

According to the latest statistics, Manchester United's cash reserves are 73.2 million pounds. As of the end of March, Old Trafford's net cash outflow in transfer-related payments had reached £196 million, most of which was used to pay installments from previous quarters. The club's third-quarter financial report shows that it will have to pay a final transfer payment of £195.2 million in the next year, including the £89 million that Sir Ratcliff mentioned that he must pay this summer, even if new players are no longer introduced.

These figures do not yet include the new installment debt in the Cunya transfer case. Manchester United theoretically can obtain more funds through a £140 million revolving credit line, which can support signings without selling players. But the loan must be repaid eventually, and it runs contrary to the "balance between income and expenditure" concept emphasized by Bellada.

This shows that the club prioritizes the reasons for players' sale, ideally a heavy transaction, and prepaid cash is charged as much as possible.