Manchester United executive vice president Ed Woodward in a tone of sobriety says clubs will not be doling out hundreds of millions when signing new players in the transfer window as they will be mindful of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many league clubs have suffered a loss in revenue due to the suspension of football since March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic that’s still ravaging the continent.
Woodward has voiced that it would be a challenging time in the market and that it may not be “business as usual” for clubs, including Manchester United, when the look for new recruits commences this summer.
“We need visibility of the impact across the whole industry, including timings of the transfer window and the wider financial picture, before we can talk about a return to normality,” Woodward said in a United fans forum on Friday.
“On this basis, I cannot help feeling that speculation around transfers of individual players for hundreds of millions of pounds this summer seems to ignore the realities that face the sport.”
Woodward added that he hoped the season could be completed with fifth-placed United pushing for Champions League qualification and still be in contention in the Europa League and FA Cup.
Although a return to action in the Premier League is not expected until May at the earliest, Woodward said the first few games when the league resumes may be played without fans in attendance.
“While it may be that games need to be played behind closed doors in the shorter term, we all recognise that football will not be fully back to normal until supporters are once again in attendance,” Woodward added.
“We are pushing ahead with a series of initiatives to enhance the matchday experience at Old Trafford, including… the planned trial of rail seating, and the completion of our expanded state-of-the-art facilities for disabled supporters.
“These matters pale in comparison with the immediate priority of fighting coronavirus. But they give us things to look forward to when we are eventually allowed back to Old Trafford to watch football.”