Manchester United chief Ed Woodward insists club is ‘committed to winning trophies’ after record revenues

United have suffered difficult start to the season under Solskjaer

Mark Critchley
Northern Football Correspondent
Tuesday 24 September 2019 13:06 BST
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Ed Woodward has insisted that everyone at Manchester United is ‘committed to winning trophies’ despite the club’s difficult start to the Premier League season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have taken just eight points from their first six games, having suffered their second defeat of the campaign on Sunday against West Ham.

United spent approximately £140m on three new players during the summer, but there remains unrest among supporters following last season’s sixth-place finish.

Upon the announcement of record revenues of £627.1m, United’s executive vice-chairman reiterated that the club is engaged in a rebuilding process under Solskjaer.

“We remain focused on our plan of rebuilding the team and continuing to strengthen our youth system, in line with the philosophy of the club and the manager,” Woodward said.

“This is reflected in the recent addition of three exciting first team players, key player contract extensions and the talent we have coming through our academy.”

Woodward added: “Everyone at Manchester United is committed to delivering on our primary objective of winning trophies.”

The remarks echo those made by a United spokesperson in a recent fans’ forum, when the club stressed that their focus is not profit but success on the pitch.

United’s £627.1m in revenues for the 2018-19 season was an increase of around 6 per cent from 2017-18, predominantly due to a rise in broadcast income from participation in the Champions League.

Failure to qualify for this year’s Champions League is expected to result in a reduction in revenues, which are expected to fall between £560m to £580m.

The club’s wage bill increased to £332.3m last year, due to “investment in the first team playing squad”. It is approximately a 12 per cent rise on the previous year’s wage bill and 53 per cent of the club’s turnover.

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