1
Football finance expert, Kieran Maguire, has stated that Manchester United’s ability to spend in the January transfer window may be higher than most fans currently think is possible.
Maguire is a broadcaster who specialises in accountancy in football and he was giving an interview to Stretford Paddock.
💰 Would Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival increase #MUFC’s January transfer budget?
Here’s what @KieranMaguire has to say… pic.twitter.com/bDY0XQWVuM
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) November 14, 2023
The academic’s opening remarks in the interview clip paint a current depressing picture of the club’s finances under the Glazer family’s control.
He mentions that “wheels are already in motion” for most clubs for the January transfer window, with targets already being identified and spoken to, while finances are being set aside to conduct business. Maguire goes on to contrast this with the situation at Man United, where he claims that it is “common knowledge” that United have reached “the upper limit of their financial fair play limit” as things currently stand.
The financial guru explained that under Premier League rules, a team can only lose £15m over three years. However, most frustratingly for United fans is that current guidelines stipulate that club owners are allowed to invest a further £90m.
Agonisingly for supporters of the club, the Glazers are infamous for their lack of investment in the club through their own finances. The expert claims that the current American owners have “chosen” not to invest in new shares or put money into the club and this has led to the dire financial situation.
The lack of financial input has put the club at a “clear disadvantage” in comparison to other teams in the Premier League. This is not good news for the team from the red side of Manchester as the club is no longer only competing with traditional rivals like Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City.
Teams like Newcastle, Brighton and Aston Villa all now possess tangible financial might and are growing in confidence of the financial clout they can throw about in the market. The Villans are one of the highest net spenders in the league over the last five years and this improvement can be seen by them currently sitting fifth in the premier league table, only three points off the top after 12 matchdays.
United fans have also experienced disappointment in the winter window before. Last season, Erik ten Hag had to make do with 3 loan deals of keeper Jack Butland (who never played for the club), Wout Weghorst (who failed to score a Premier League goal) and Marcel Sabitzer (who only came in as an emergency deal to cover for the injured Christian Eriksen at the back end of the month).
However, according to Kieran Maguire, there is a ray of sunshine in this usually bleak month. The Peoples Person has already reported that January may actually be a busy month for the Red Devils, which would come as a welcome boost to their injury-ravaged and struggling squad.
Maguire has now also backed up this potential good news by asserting that “if as part of a new arrangement he (Sir Jim Ratcliffe) will be buying partly shares from existing shareholders but also partly investing fresh funds” into the club, this could signal a positive ability to spend big in the January transfer window.
The finance expert finishes the interview by explaining that if in fact, Ratcliffe, can complete his deal to purchase 25% of the club by the 31st of December, this could significantly increase the budget in January.
This news, if true of course, would be the rush of dopamine that United fans desperately need after enduring such a wretched start to the season. The season to date has been under a dark cloud of takeover uncertainty and financial mess. Positive updates like this will get fans dreaming again.
United, as always, have been linked to a plethora of talent, including defenders like Jean-Clair Todibo and Gonçalo Inácio.
The ongoing lack of options at right wing and attacking support for Rasmus Hojlund have also jumped to the front of the queue as priorities. Finally, the Red Devils have been continuously linked to right-back options such as Denzel Dumfries and Vanderson.
Fans of the team from Old Trafford will hope what Kieran Maguire has to say is true, as the club faces unprecedented competition domestically, both on and off the pitch.