Man Utd
United Consider Saudi Midseason Friendly Amid Form and Financial Concerns
Manchester United weighing Saudi midseason friendly as form dips and finances remain under pressure.
Manchester United are reportedly exploring the possibility of staging a midseason friendly in Saudi Arabia as the club navigates a difficult run of results and continued financial strain. According to The Athletic, the club is examining potential opponents but cannot formalise any arrangements until Premier League match dates are confirmed.
The decision stems in part from the unusual calendar the club faces this term. United do not have European fixtures this season, and an early exit from the Carabao Cup following a second-round defeat to League Two Grimsby Town has left the squad with free midweeks through to December. A trip to the Middle East would offer warm-weather training amid dropping temperatures and carry significant commercial appeal.
On the pitch, Ruben Amorim remains under pressure after a troubled 2024–25 campaign and a slow start to the new season. The Red Devils were beaten 3–1 by Brentford on Saturday and sit 14th in the Premier League table. Under the Portuguese manager United are yet to record back-to-back Premier League wins.
Financial context is central to the planning. The club supposedly carry £750 million ($1.1 billion) in debt and recorded their sixth consecutive loss in the 2024–25 accounts. Missing out on Champions League qualification cost an estimated £85 million ($115 million) after a defeat in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur. The club also declined an All or Nothing Amazon documentary that “could’ve netted an extra £10 million ($13.64 million),” a move Amorim insisted on.
A midseason friendly in Saudi Arabia would be rare for a Premier League club but offers both sporting and commercial benefits. United are assessing the options while waiting for the fixture calendar to allow any such match to be scheduled. For now, planning remains exploratory rather than finalised.
Man Utd
Šeško Nears Return as United Seek Cover During Busy Winter
Agent says Benjamin Šeško is close to returning after nearly a month out, offering relief to United.
Benjamin Šeško, the 22-year-old summer signing, is close to returning from an injury that has kept him out for almost a month, his agent Elvis Basanovic has said. Basanovic told Arena Sport that the striker’s rehabilitation is progressing well and that a comeback could be only days away.
“Benjamin [Šeško] is feeling very good, his rehab is going as planned,” Basanovic said, via ESPN . “He’s really eager to return to the pitch, he misses playing.
“He’s missing games and he’s a bit impatient, so hopefully he’ll be back soon and be where he feels most comfortable. But I think we’ll see him very soon on the field, perhaps even sooner than it might seem at this moment.”
Šeško had been in the early phase of adjusting to the Premier League when the setback interrupted his momentum. His imminent availability comes at a timely moment for Manchester United, with fellow attacking summer signing Bryan Mbeumo bound to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations within the next week.
United face a congested winter programme and the return of Šeško would increase manager Amorim’s options during a demanding period on the calendar. Having another forward fit and ready would help the manager rotate and cope with absences across competitions.
Basanovic also urged patience while praising the manager who played a role in the transfer. “I must say he [Amorim] received Benjamin excellently,” Basanovic said. “I think Ruben first of all is an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing.
“It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and intelligence. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world , if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time.
“He is a manager with his own vision to bring United to the top, but he definitely needs time.” The Portuguese manager has also asked fans to be patient after Šeško’s difficult start to life in England.
Man Utd
Amorim admits uncertainty over De Ligt after he misses matchday squad despite 4–1 win
Amorim confirms uncertainty over Matthijs de Ligt’s return after he missed the Wolves match. today.
Manchester United secured a 4–1 victory over the Premier League’s bottom side, but the result was accompanied by fresh concern after centre back Matthijs de Ligt failed to make the matchday squad.
Manager Ruben Amorim had initially been optimistic about the injury suffered by the Dutch international, but that optimism appears to have been tempered by De Ligt’s absence from the Wolves fixture. Amorim selected two natural full backs, Luke Shaw and Noussair Mazraoui, to operate in central defence alongside young Ayden Heaven. Lisandro Martínez, still getting back to full fitness, and Leny Yoro were named among the substitutes.
Asked for an update on De Ligt’s condition, Amorim refused to offer a timeline for a return. “I don’t know, sometimes you have an idea and then you have to see day by day,” Amorim conceded. “I am not going to say when he is coming back.” Those comments underline the uncertainty surrounding a player who was not available for selection on Monday.
United’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed briefly against Wolves, with the hosts — who have two points from 15 games this season — managing to score only their eighth goal of the campaign to level the match at 1–1 by half-time. It was not, however, an accurate reflection of United’s overall control of the game.
Amorim used his interval team talk to underline that point and praised his players for their reaction after the break. “I’m feeling good,” Amorim reflected. “I think we played well, most of the time. I think we disconnected a little bit after the first goal, that hurt us. But in the second half, everyone felt we were there to win the game and that was a good feeling.
“It’s really good that [fight in the second half], but we need to be concerned about how we concede a goal when we have full control of the game. We are so near to score a second goal to kill, a little bit, the game. But I’m pleased with the response after half-time.
“It was so clear we are dominating the games but not finishing the plays as we should do. We need to be better in the details. [I was] trying to explain to the players we have 45 minutes to win the three points that are crucial for our life.”
Man Utd
United climb to sixth after convincing 4-1 win at Wolves
United 4-1 Wolves; Fernandes brace, Mbeumo and Mount scored. United level with Chelsea on points…
Manchester United produced a commanding 4-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, a result that moves the visitors up to sixth in the Premier League table. Bruno Fernandes scored twice and was deeply involved in United’s attacking play, while Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount also found the net. Wolves’ goal came from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, the hosts’ first Premier League goal since October.
The match swung quickly. United took the lead when Matheus Cunha dispossessed André and set up Fernandes, who turned away from Emmanuel Agbadou to finish off an improvised move. Wolves responded in first-half stoppage time when a throw-in developed into a David Møller Wolfe delivery finished by Bellegarde.
United’s response after the interval was rapid. Luke Shaw won the ball inside his own half and United moved forward; Cunha played in behind to Diogo Dalot, whose cross found Mbeumo to restore the lead. Mount extended the advantage with a volley from a lofted through ball by Fernandes. The Portugal international completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute after Yerson Mosquera was penalised for handball.
United finished the match with a clear statistical advantage: 60 percent possession, 14 total shots and five on target, compared with Wolves’ 40 percent possession and three shots. The visitors created the better chances and controlled large portions of the game as they took the three points back to Manchester.
Individual performances were notable. Fernandes was the standout with a 9.4 rating, Mbeumo earned an 8.5, and Matheus Cunha registered 8.0 for his contributions in the build-up. Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot both received 7.9, Casemiro 7.3 and Mason Mount 7.4. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens was given 6.9. Among substitutes, Lisandro Martínez was rated 6.5, Leny Yoro 6.6 and Kobbie Mainoo 6.1; Patrick Dorgu and Joshua Zirkzee were listed N/A.
The result leaves United level on points with fourth-place Chelsea ahead of their clash with Bournemouth at Old Trafford next Monday.
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