Man Utd's improving financial picture

There were a couple of interesting bits of additional information in the wider third quarter statement that was released by Manchester United on Thursday night.

First, the club confirmed that since the reporting period ended on 31 March, they had paid off £110m on their revolving credit facility.

That is important because the facility is a key method of paying for transfers. It means they have £250m left to spend.

Then, United confirmed they had received £31.36m for a player sale, which is assumed to be Rasmus Hojlund, whose permanent move to Napoli was triggered by their qualification for next season's Champions League.

Also, within the accounts, United say they owe £405.75m in outstanding transfer fees, £171.14m of which is due after more than one year. Most clubs run transfer deficits like this these days. United's is at the top end of the list.

All this means the club are moving into a position where they can be active in the transfer market, albeit they are determined not to overpay for players.

Also, after a couple of years when revenue was reduced because of their absence from the Champions League, it would not be a surprise if the club were posting overall revenues in excess of £800m for the 2026-27 financial year.

Increases in broadcast revenue would be the major reason for this, but a new training kit sponsorship with Betway is expected to be announced. The previous deal with Tezos ended last summer.