Michael Carrick addresses talks of mid-season tour

Manchester United have suffered a major financial blow this season, with their lack of European football having a huge impact.

Losing out on the Europa League alone saw United lose £40 million in revenue, whilst qualification to the Champions League would have seen them gain an extra £100 million in revenue.

However, that’s not the end of their issues, with the club’s shirt sleeve sponsor with DXC Technology set to end this summer.

United are yet to replace Tezos as their kit sponsor after their contract expired last summer, leaving a shortfall of £24 million.

As such, the club are looking at ways to bring in extra revenue to bridge the gap, with a potential mid-season tour being on the cards.

Last summer, a post-season tour took The Red Devils to Asia, which, along with their pre-season tour of the USA, saw the club bring in just under £20 million.

With the concept of touring generating funds of the club, the idea of travelling to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Riyadh Season Cup came about, potentially generating £10 million for the club.

However, Michael Carrick has now addressed the situation in his pre-match press conference before the clash with Tottenham Hotspur, as reported by The Sun.

Speaking about the prospect of a mid-season tour, Carrick commented: “At this stage, nothing’s confirmed. We’re aware of the schedule and there are some spaces that we can use in different ways.”

He continued: “It’s all up for discussion at the moment. Nothing’s been decided. It might happen. It might not.”

As such, Michael Carrick has neither confirmed nor denied the conversations, leaving the door open for a potential venture.

It’s understood that with the commercial concerns at the club, INEOS have brought Jean-Claude Blanc back onto the scene, stepping up his presence to work with the club’s chief business officer, Marc Armstrong.