Man United faces selling test amid wage bill worries

Manchester United has not sold a player this summer despite heavy spending and high wage commitments, highlighting a mismatch between buying and selling.

Man United selling drought exposes costly transfer strategy

Manchester United has yet to move a player this summer, despite last year’s deals totaling more than £100m. The club has prioritized incomings, adding a front three with Cunha and Mbeumo, and arranging a season-long loan for Rashford that Barcelona is funding, reportedly saving around £14m over the year. The sense of a sale stall is reinforced by reports that United plan to shed four forwards as the transfer window nears its close, and by the observation that the squad now carries a bloated forward line.

Wage structure and prior signings loom large in the club’s selling challenges. Casemiro remains on a four-year, £350,000-a-week contract, a deal United has struggled to move despite naming four intermediaries to handle the sales process. Sancho’s situation mirrors that trouble: his time at the club has been long and unsettled, with a 2022 signing followed by a difficult period on and off the field. The broader narrative paints United as stuck between past missteps and a present market that favors patience from buyers and demands from sellers. Chelsea are reportedly the only bidders for Garnacho after other clubs passed, leaving United waiting for a deal that fits both price and timing.

The piece portrays a club at a crossroads between expensive acquisitions and a stubborn need to reduce the wage bill. Amorim's bullish transfer approach is framed as a factor in the current deadlock, with high-profile wages and long contracts making sales costly and slow. This is not just a football issue; it mirrors a broader industry tension where big clubs struggle to convert asset purchases into liquid capital amid a lukewarm market for player sales.

If United cannot align its spending with a credible plan to exit players, it risks longer-term damage to its balance sheet and credibility with fans and sponsors. The cost of inaction could echo beyond the pitch, shaping investor sentiment and the club’s ability to finance further moves. The next few weeks will test whether a strategic reset is possible or if the club remains trapped in a cycle of new signings without corresponding asset realization.

Highlights

Markets and fans will watch closely how United rebalances its books in the weeks ahead