Man Utd's £90m borrowing adds pressure as debt tops £1.1bn

Man Utd face a stark contrast at Old Trafford: the stadium wrestles with maintenance problems while the club has taken a fresh £90m loan since 30 June, pushing total debt beyond £1.1bn. At the same time, United have splashed £191.7m on new signings this summer.

The £90m borrowing was disclosed in a detailed filing to the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, following the release of Manchester United’s 2025‑26 accounts to 30 June. The filing confirmed that the club also spent £191.7m on new players during the summer window. United have not provided a breakdown of how the extra cash was allocated beyond the announced transfer fees.

New signings and undisclosed spending

United secured Andrey Santos from Chelsea on 13 July, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa on 14 July and Carlos Baleba from Brighton on 25 August. The fees announced at the time of each transfer summed to £153m, yet the club’s total summer outlay was reported as £191.7m, leaving £38.7m unaccounted for. No comment has been offered on the source of the additional expenditure.

Debt structure and recent drawdowns

Further drawdowns from the revolving credit facility were made on 29 July, 31 July and 28 August, totalling £120m, before a £30m repayment on 21 September. United’s overall debt now stands at £1.15bn, comprising £578m of historic debt, £200m of outstanding credit facility and £375m of transfer‑fee liabilities. This represents a £72m reduction on the £447m transfer‑fee figure reported in the 2024‑25 accounts.

The club faces substantial repayment obligations: £104.8m is due within one to two years, £51.9m between two and five years, with the remainder payable in the next twelve months. United have stated that payments for the most recent signings are scheduled to be settled within the next five years. These timelines underline the pressure on cash flow despite recent cost‑cutting measures.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who became a minority owner in 2024, has implemented major cost‑cutting initiatives, yet the debt level remains above the £1bn mark. The financial strain is evident even as the club seeks to stabilise its balance sheet.

Old Trafford’s maintenance issues have been highlighted alongside the financial disclosures, adding operational concerns to the fiscal ones. United were approached for comment on both the stadium problems and the borrowing, but the club has not responded.