Manchester United were promptly expelled from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and appointed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Carrick may be planning a potentially lucrative reunion (Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick has made an unexpected reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo that could net the club £10m. According to The Sun, the Reds are considering holding a mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia to bridge the club’s financial gap, which would reunite two United icons.
It has been suggested that the trip to Saudi Arabia could earn them around £10m, especially with only 17 games remaining this season following their early exit from the FA Cup. Defeat against Brighton marked United’s quickest loss of both domestic titles since the 1981-82 season.
The club, which had no place in European football last year, has played just 40 games this season, its lowest in 111 years. Last season, United earned £160.3m in matchday income from 30 games, boosted by their run to the Europa League final, where they lost to Tottenham Hotspur.
read more: Micah Richards predicts new problems for Manchester United if Michael Carrick achieves big goalsread more: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reaction to missing out on the Manchester United job speaks volumes
Now, the club will play 10 fewer games at Old Trafford this season than last time, with each match estimated to be worth around £5.3 million. The withdrawal of the FA Cup created two gaps in the schedule with the fourth and fifth rounds of the competition scheduled.
This means United will have a 13-day break in February, followed by a further 10 days in March before entering the international break. The newspaper reported that United was in talks with the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority about a possible trip to Saudi Arabia.
There is no guarantee that the club will end up visiting the Middle East, but if they do they could face Ronaldo’s Al Nasr as part of plans for the proposed Riyadh Season Cup. Carrick shared the pitch with the Portuguese superstar in the 2000s before managing Ronaldo during his first spell as caretaker manager in 2021.
Michael Carrick was previously interim Manchester United manager (Image: Action Images via Reuters)
Riyadh’s season typically lasts from October to March and could include the aforementioned cup competition, a three-way tournament between Ronaldo’s team and fellow capital club Al Hilal. United missed out on a massive £100m in prize money after losing to Spurs in the Europa League final last May, resulting in a significant drop in matchday revenue.
To address this shortfall, the club decided to increase ticket prices, and new executive seating was also introduced in the lower part of Old Trafford’s south stand as a measure to compensate for the loss of income. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co earned around £7.8m for their pre-season trip to Asia, but their trip to the US a month later almost matched that figure.
Other clubs such as AC Milan, RB Leipzig and Sevilla have also failed to secure European football and could be potential opponents if friendlies are arranged mid-season.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily Manchester United content from Mirror Football. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
