Manchester United are set to welcome back several first-team players next week as pre-season begins. Nine of the star players have played in the World Cup for their respective countries and will be absent during the early stages of coach Michael Carrick’s preparations. For those not across the pond, preseason begins on Thursday, July 9th. The Red Devils are touring Europe this year.
United will travel to Finland, Norway, Ireland, Sweden and Poland to face Wrexham, Rosenborg, Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Leeds. First on the agenda will be the Helsinki Red Dragons, with several fringe players poised to feature, given that the first-team regulars will continue to feature in the World Cup. Here, Express Sport brings you all the latest developments to emerge from Old Trafford…
Chido Obi is reportedly in talks to move to FC Köln on loan this summer. It is understood the move was made because United felt a temporary move would be beneficial to aid the striker’s development.
Discussions have begun regarding a transfer that would see Obi link up with a Bundesliga club for the upcoming season only. The 18-year-old made eight appearances for the Red Devils’ first team during the 2024/25 season, before being limited to youth football this season.
He scored 20 goals and had six assists across the U18 and U20 teams. Obi has been in the spotlight since joining United from Arsenal in 2024 and is keen to gain valuable first-team experience in Germany.
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Bolson has suggested United have agreed to allow Amazon Prime to film their entire 2026/27 campaign. The All or Nothing series has so far been filmed at several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham and City.
The documentary is likely to earn the Red Devils a huge eight-figure return, but it is also understood there could be problems if the season does not unfold as expected.
Bolson told Football Insider: “It’s probably worth between £10m and £15m and obviously it’s a pretty high-margin asset sale. There’s not a lot of cost involved.”
“You’re giving up access because of cost, you’re able to put cameras in places you couldn’t before, you’re able to record, you lose control over editing.
“Listen, if it’s a good season, that’s great. If you have a manager’s problem or an individual player’s problem and it’s a really bad season, you can enjoy the money, but you know it’s going to affect you on the other side.
“It worked for[Manchester]City, it worked for Arsenal. I think it will be fine, but there are risks.”
