Manchester United debt hits £1.15bn despite record income
Manchester United now owe £1.15bn.
The club borrowed an extra £90m and added $125m (£94.36m) to its main debt during a restructuring in June. The figures come from United’s end-of-year accounts to 30 June 2026, filed with the New York Stock Exchange and reported on 5 October BBC Sport.
Those accounts also show record revenue. United brought in £677.6m last season. The club expects that to rise to £760m in 2026-27.
On the pitch, United finished third in the Premier League. That secured a return to the Champions League, Europe’s top club competition, after a two-year absence.
The debt has grown fast. The comparable overall figure in the accounts to June 2021 was £667m. United paid £37m in interest last year, up from £34m the year before. The football finance site Swiss Ramble estimates United have now paid £852m in net interest since the Glazer family takeover in 2005.
Wages tell a different story. United’s wage bill fell to £302m in 2025-26, down from £313m in 2025. That was still the fifth-highest in the Premier League in 2025. Wages took up 45% of turnover, the share of income spent on salaries.
United also owe large sums for players. Transfer debt, money still owed to other clubs for signings, stood at £375m before 30 June, with £218m due before 30 June 2027. Since 30 June the club has committed £191.7m on new players, including Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, with payments spread over the next five years. Another £122.8m could be owed if signed players hit pre-agreed targets.
Off the pitch, United said on 23 September that £63.5m had been spent on land for a proposed new stadium.
The numbers landed days after a separate ruling about Manchester’s other club. On 29 September, the Premier League confirmed Manchester City had been found guilty of breaching its financial rules over a nine-year period Premier League.
An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to nine seasons between 2009-10 and 2017-18 Reuters. The commission said the schemes distorted the club’s finances by over £900m. The league stated that a total of £830.69m was payable and paid by Abu Dhabi United Group to City.
City said shortly after the announcement that the club are “innocent of the accusations.” On 2 October, the club filed an appeal against the ruling Reuters.
For fans, this means two familiar names sitting at opposite ends of the same conversation. United are earning more than ever and back in Europe, yet paying more to service debt. City are challenging a verdict that questions how their past success was funded.
