Premier League giants could be set to continue their recent bank-breaking spending in transfer windows, with the Red Devils revealing a 39.3% increase in first quarter revenues to $187.9 million. But which superstars will be on manager Louis van Gaal’s radar?
United, who are currently fourth in the English top flight, have been making serious waves lately with their transfer dealings in an attempt to usher in a new era following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. While things didn’t go so well for his initial successor, David Moyes, Dutchman Van Gaal is slowly turning United back into a European powerhouse – and money has played a big part.
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The club has sponsorship mega-deals with both Chevrolet and Adidas, with the latter seeing United pocket well over $1 billion for a ten-year agreement. From that, United have been able to finance a number of huge deals, including the Premier League’s record transfer when they bought Angel di Maria from Real Madrid for $90.9 million.
Their 39.3% rise in first quarter revenue was not only boosted by the huge sponsorship deals, but also by their lucrative return to the UEFA Champions League this season. United are now set to become the first soccer club in history to break the $760 million mark for overall revenue for the year.
This will surely mean a sizeable transfer budget for Van Gaal come the summer, but which players could make the move to Old Trafford?
A return for one Cristiano Ronaldo, currently at Real Madrid, has been a firm favourite of the rumour mill for some time. The Portuguese captain moved to the Spanish capital from Manchester for over $121 million in 2009, and it will reportedly cost something similar to see him depart the Bernabeu six years on.
Even former players are keen on a Ronaldo return to England, with his six-year stay at United heralding four major trophies for the club, and a Ballon d’Or for the attacker in 2008.
Ronaldo’s Real teammate Gareth Bale and Bayern Munich striker Thomas Muller have also been linked with moves to Old Trafford in recent months, with United reportedly having seen a bid of over $80 million for the latter turned down by the German club. A move for either player, or Ronaldo, would see a stunning transfer fee come into play.
Louis van Gaal’s spending at United currently stands at over $380 million, and considering the incredible amount of money flowing into the club, fans could well be set for a very interesting few summers to come.