Alexis Sanchez to Man Utd: Expert reveals Glazers decision over Arsenal transfer
MANCHESTER UNITED are willing to break the bank to sign Alexis Sanchez - because they know he will earn them money in the long term.
That is the view of sports finance expert Professor Simon Chadwick.
Manchester United are predicted to spend £182million on the overall transfer of Sanchez.
That includes his £500,000-a-week wages, his up-front transfer fee, signing-on fee and agents fees.
United beat Manchester City to Sanchez after their rivals refused to stump up more than £20m for the Arsenal player.
And Chadwick insists the deal is part of American owners the Glazers’ growth strategy.
“Remember, even with United and Real Madrid, these are still in commercial terms relatively small, immature businesses,” Chadwick, Professor of Sports Enterprise at Salford Business School, told Express Sport.
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“These are not businesses like Walt Disney. Manchester United are in the entertainment business and in comparison with the entertainment giants like Disney, United are worth nothing. It’s small.
“And this is why the Glazers are still there.
“Because in terms of a business there is still a great deal that a business like United can do to generate revenue.
“Increasingly, United, Real, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are playing the long game.
“What they realise is there is still tremendous potential value in football and even if they sign Paul Pogba, Neymar, Philippe Coutinho or, in this case, Sanchez.
“They know that although it might inflict a short-term cost hit on them, there is still growth in the market place that will enable them to generate new revenues.
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Alexis Sanchez banners are still visible at the Emirates
There is still a great deal that a business like United can do to generate revenue
“Now, they might have to work harder to do that now United have signed Sanchez but there is that liquidity in the football economy there, the opportunity and potential to do that.”
The Glazers have owned United in 2005 and have faced criticism in the past for their business model.
But the Red Devils have enjoyed an upturn not only in results but also revenues recently.
They replaced Real Madrid in Deloitte’s Football Money League last year and their most recent accounts showed they had annual revenues of £581.2million.
Mourinho recently complained about his lack of funds in the transfer market compared to City, despite him spending almost £300m on deals since his arrival in 2016.
