Manchester United fans always knew their club was poorly run but a statistic has emerged to prove just how damaging it has been.
There are many aspects to running a club well but one way to ensure the job is being done properly is in player sales.
A key element of #LFC strategy is they have become a club that sells well. In last 5 years only #CFC have made more from player trading than the Reds with £413m, but Liverpool £274m is well ahead of the rest of the Big Six: #MCFC £221m, #AFC £211m, #THFC £158m and #MUFC £81m. pic.twitter.com/D7S4MED9ro
— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) March 4, 2022
As can be seen by the graph above, United are bottom of the ‘Big Six’ in profits on player sales with £81m over the past five years.
Chelsea’s £413m pales in comparison and even Tottenham who are the closest ahead of the Red Devils have almost double at £158m.
Fans will hope under Ralf Rangnick these things will change, even if he’s not the manager anymore and is in his advisory role.
There are a few factors to consider in regards to why Manchester United are so poor at selling or offloading players.
One thing to consider is how infrequently the club signs young and high potential players who may have a respectable resale value.
United’s desperate need for immediate success has often meant signing players for the now and that means little to no resale value.
Another factor is how the club delays selling players to the point it becomes harmful to themselves- whether it’s because they leave for free or because they have since declined.
Part of the reason for the delay is because the Red Devils keep on renewing players on higher wage deals making it more difficult to offload them.
Those in charge of the club seem to believe extending a player’s contract somehow protects their value and it ends up backfiring.
It’s clear a lot of things need to change at Manchester United, particularly if they want to clear up their debts.