Due to a gap in the schedule, Manchester United plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in February next year for a high-yield mid-season commercial match.Since Manchester United failed to qualify for European competitions at the end of last season, the team has been exploring the possibility of playing a friendly match in the Middle East. Participating in a mid-season friendly will help Manchester United make up for the tens of millions of pounds in revenue lost due to failing to qualify for the Champions League.
It is understood that the two weeks in mid-February are the most likely time period. After United’s away match against Everton was rescheduled to Monday, February 23, a gap appeared in the team’s schedule.
United’s last Premier League match before traveling to Saudi Arabia will be against West Ham United at the London Stadium on Tuesday, February 10, which is scheduled a few days before the start of the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Manchester United will make a final decision after the third round of the FA Cup against Brighton on January 11. However, even if United advance to the fourth round, there will still be more than a week between their fourth-round match and the league game against Everton, which is theoretically sufficient to support the trip to Saudi Arabia.
For example, if the fourth round of the FA Cup is scheduled for Saturday, February 14, United will still have a full 8-day gap before facing Everton. And if United are eliminated by Brighton, there will be a 12-day gap between the two matches against West Ham United and Everton.
No contracts have been signed between the two parties yet, but it is understood that Manchester United has held talks with Saudi officials about participating in the friendly match.
AC Milan may be a potential opponent for Manchester United. The Italian club also has no European commitments this season; they are scheduled to play away against Pisa on February 15 and then host Parma seven days later.
Manager Ruben Amorim expressed his support when asked about the matter two months ago, saying: “We have to do this, we knew that when we missed out on European football. We have budget requirements and have to make up for losses in various aspects. We will go, and we also hope to meet our fans around the world.”
