Out of money or why? Why did Manchester United spend less in the transfer market than the two newly promoted teams Ipswich Town and Coventry City?
Looking back over recent years, although the "Red Devils" Manchester United have not achieved major trophies such as the English Premier League or UEFA Champions League, and have barely competed seriously for those titles—especially the latter—they have still managed to spend huge sums, making big transfer deals in nearly every window.
However, the summer of 2026 seems different. So far, the Manchester red giants have spent a total of only £83.3 million, about 3.734 billion baht, and in less than ten days, they will play their first official match of the 2026-27 Premier League season, visiting "The Tigers" Hull City on 22 August.
Key signings include André Santos, a Brazilian who transferred from Chelsea, and Youri Tielemans, a Belgian who joined from Aston Villa. Some are young talents waiting to shine, while others are experienced players of advancing age but affordable prices.
This reflects a change in the club's transfer approach, no longer splurging like before. The £83.3 million (approx. 3.734 billion baht) spent is less than the amounts spent by the two newly promoted teams Ipswich Town ("The Tractor Boys") and Coventry City ("The Sky Blues"), who spent £109.4 million (approx. 4.902 billion baht) and £92.2 million (approx. 4.132 billion baht) respectively.
Data shows that over the last five seasons, from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the Old Trafford club spent about £778 million (approx. 34.867 billion baht) on transfers, averaging £155.6 million (approx. 6.973 billion baht) per season. This summer's spending is just a little over half that amount.
This new approach is driven by the INEOS group of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and CEO Omar Barrada, enforcing strict belt-tightening policies to resolve over £300 million (approx. 13.45 billion baht) in accumulated losses and total debts reaching £1.29 billion (approx. 57.836 billion baht). This strategy aims to ensure the club's survival both on and off the pitch.