Manchester United’s first ‘Theatre of Dreams’ China fan centre to open in Beijing by end of year
- Club and Chinese partners Harves Entertainment announce Old Trafford-inspired name of entertainment centres across the country
- English Premier League side face US$130m loss with Covid-19 keeping fans away, while they are also struggling on the pitch
The club, along with others in the English Premier League and across the football world, are counting the cost of the coronavirus pandemic but are pressing ahead with plans in China, which were announced in January, 2019.
Last month ESPN reported that the club had lost US$100 million in six months because of Covid-19 and the figure would likely reach US$130 million before the end of the year. Much of this has come from the club being unable to allow fans back to matches at Old Trafford and the related spending by visitors in the club’s megastore and museum.
Despite the financial constraints, Manchester United spent nearly US$100 million in transfer fees in the recent transfer window, excluding agents fees and player wages for big names such as Edinson Cavani.
The club have also been named, along with fellow US-owned Liverpool, as leaders of controversial plans to ring-fence the English Premier League’s big clubs in “Operation Big Picture”, The Telegraph revealed on Sunday.