Who will sign for Man U?

[Arginald Valleywater]

So Moyes has ?150m (of bank loans and mortgaged season ticket sales) to spend in Jan. Will he be able to sign anyone of note or will the players not risk signing and missing out on European competition in 2014/15?

[JamesW]

As usual your claims are entirely untruthful.

Man Utd accounts published in November show cash in hand of ?83m.

Bank loans are currently ?7.5m.

Asssuming your story of ?150m being available for transfer spending in January turned out to be true, then additional bank loans could be taken out to make up the ?67m shortfall.

Man Utd have never mortgaged season ticket sales. That's a flat out lie.

[David Johnson]

You usually talk nonsense about Liverpool and its fans, Argie.

What's happened? Is that because they have been doing well this season?

[Arginald Valleywater]

I am submitting Man U's accounts for the 2014 Man Booker!!

[JamesW]

Man Utd do also have ?353m of corporate bonds issued - on which they have to pay ?31m interest a year. The last operating profit they announced (before transfers) was ?53m, so the annual interest payments of ?31m are manageable at the moment. (They are talking about buying back some of the bonds to reduce interest payments to more like ?21m a year, but that depends on them acquiring a relatively low interest bank loan).

[Essex Lad]

Blimey, someone's had their corns trodden on... calm down, it's only a football team.

[Arginald Valleywater]

Well Mata has signed. He'll need some other fresh legs to make an impact. Maybe Scholes will get his boots on again.

[Zorro]

Mata is a great buy for United, I am amazed Chelsea sold to them, with a returning Rooney and RVP this signing could be enough to see United get fourth spot, which would be a good first season for Moyes.

[JamesW]

Zorro wrote:

> could be
> enough to see United get fourth spot, which would be a good
> first season for Moyes.


How good?

If Man Utd "get fourth spot" it will be their lowest league finish for 23 years.

[Bob Singleton]

I'll be sad to see Mata leave, but Man U need more than just him. Essentially they pretty much need a whole new squad. That around ?40m of what they have to spend to rebuild will be heading toward Stamford Bridge to spend on a decent striker just fills me with a rosy glow

Even with Mata, Man U will struggle to qualify for the Europa Cup next season, hardly making them the number one destination for top players.

Last summer, target after target either stayed put or went elsewhere and that was WITH the club about to embark on a season in Europe. What will happen next summer if they're not in Europe at all? Apart from direct footballing revenues decreasing (lower share of prize money, leading to lower share of TV revenues) some sponsors may want to renegotiate contracts to reflect the new worth of the club as a marketing tool.

Once the trophies stop, so will all the johnny-come-lately fans in Asia and elsewhere who will just switch allegiance to other clubs, depriving Man U of shirt sales etc. Once the revenue streams start to lessen, so the need of the Glazers to find money from somewhere to repay their debts becomes stronger.