Manchester United’s pursuit of Wout Weghorst has been met with criticism from some quarters with the club accused of penny-pinching once again.
A transfer for Weghorst is primarily being motivated by United’s cash struggles with the club unable to splash big in January.
After a summer where Erik ten Hag was backed to the tune of €227m, United are keen to be prudent on their spending this month.
Fabrizio Romano reported that the United board promised Ten Hag he will have significant funds to spend in the summer.
According to finance expert Kieran Maguire, the Red Devils’ tracking of Weghorst could stem from the incredibly high amount of money they owe other clubs in terms of transfer instalments.
Maguire reports, “The reason why Manchester United are trying to get a loan signing from Burnley in the present transfer window rather than buying a player could be due to #MUFC already owing other clubs £307m on transfer fee instalments, rather than for FFP.”
The reason why Manchester United are trying to get a loan signing from Burnley in the present transfer window rather than buying a player could be due to #MUFC already owing other clubs £307m on transfer fee instalments, rather than for FFP. pic.twitter.com/qj8pixzDWT
— Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) January 11, 2023
Across past windows, the 20-time English champions have spent big money on the likes of Jadon Sancho, Antony, Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
It’s highly likely that United owes money to these players’ former clubs and others.
Maguire’s report comes on the back of another, relaying how a United shareholder sold up to three million shares when the stock price shot up.
The value of United’s shares significantly went up following the Glazer family’s announcement of their intention to sell the club.
The Glazers are said to be targeting a total sale of United within the first quarter of this year, although it has been suggested the sale is a ruse only to secure funding but still retain control at Old Trafford.
The Athletic reports on the sale of these shares, “On November 22, the club’s share price was $13. By the next day, it had passed $20 and closed in 2022 at $23. Ariel Investments made the trade in that period.”
Jack Goodwin, a Data Insight and Market Research Specialist, revealed over 180,000+ mentions of GlazersOut on Twitter over the last 30 days – a clear message from the fans.
🚨📊 Over 180,000+ mentions of GlazersOut in the last 30 days on Twitter. @JackGoodwin
— UtdPlug (@UtdPlug) January 11, 2023
This grim financial situation adds to the pressure on the Glazers to sell up quickly and go.
