Man United still owe £100m for summer captures
United’s splurge on Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind, along with a loan deal for Radamel Falcao, cost the club £181.5m (€246m) in 2014.
It was the largest gross spend in a single transfer window in Premier League history.
Just £75.4m (€102.5m) was raised from players sold, leaving the club with a net spend of £106.1m (€144m).
Investment director Andy Green who has written an acclaimed blog on United’s finances since the Glazer family bought the club has said that the figure spent is £40.3m greater than the club’s cash balance, making it even more important for United to qualify for the Champions League in the 2015/16 season.
“Accepting credit from the people you buy from is as old as the hills and a sensible way to fund any business. But the £100m+ owed has to be paid over the next one to two years,” Green, a former United season ticket holder, wrote.
“That’s going to put pressure on the club’s cash flow, making it even more imperative to get back into the Champions League and even more problematic if we don’t.”
United are owed £13.7m (€18.6m) transfer fees by clubs they have sold players to.
Meanwhile, United manager Louis van Gaal has been warned by the FA but avoided further punishment following comments he made after the scoreless FA Cup draw with Cambridge.
The Dutchman denied a charge of misconduct after saying “every aspect of the match” had been “against” his team following United’s surprise fourth-round draw last month.
