Manchester United’s season may be over in terms of competitive fixtures, but the players are far from finished as they prepare for a two-match post-season tour in Asia.
Following their final Premier League game, a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday at Old Trafford, United’s squad immediately boarded a flight to Malaysia. The tour includes a high-profile friendly against ASEAN All Stars in Kuala Lumpur on 28 May, before concluding with a match against the Hong Kong national team on 30 May.
Manager Ruben Amorim has taken a large party of 32 players on the trip, including captain Bruno Fernandes, veteran midfielder Casemiro, and promising winger Alejandro Garnacho. The 20-year-old Garnacho, who did not feature against Villa and is reportedly being encouraged to find a new club this summer, joins a squad filled with both experienced campaigners and youth prospects.
This season was a difficult one for Manchester United, who finished 15th in the Premier League with just 42 points—only their 11th league win in 38 games. It was widely regarded as the club’s worst campaign since their relegation season of 1973-74. The team also suffered disappointment in Europe, losing the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao and missing out on qualification for the Champions League next season.
The Asia trip is expected to generate around $10 million (£7.8 million) for the club—a vital sum given United’s precarious financial situation. The club has played a grueling 60 games across all competitions this season, and while the tour promises financial benefits, many players have expressed mixed feelings about the additional workload after such an exhausting campaign.
Among the traveling squad are key players like defender Matthijs de Ligt, who has been sidelined since early May with an injury, and Joshua Zirkzee, recently returned from a lengthy hamstring layoff. Goalkeeper Andre Onana and full-back Luke Shaw, who missed the Villa game, are also included, along with veteran defender Jonny Evans, who will leave the club at the end of the season.
Several players confirmed to be departing—Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen—have not joined the tour, citing personal reasons. Injured players Lisandro Martinez (ACL), Noussair Mazraoui, and Leny Yoro are also absent.
Amorim is using the tour to evaluate promising young talent, with several academy standouts included: Jaydan Kamason, Godwill Kukonki, Tyler Fletcher, Sekou Kone, and Jack Moorhouse. The likes of Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi are expected to be integrated into the first team next season.
The Red Devils’ sponsor, Apollo Tyres, is hosting a meet and greet in Mumbai, India, on 29 May, featuring Onana, Harry Maguire, and Diogo Dalot, highlighting the club’s global commercial ambitions.
The tour precedes international duties for United’s players, with Fernandes and Dalot likely involved in Portugal’s Nations League semi-final against Germany on 4 June.
Manchester United’s pre-season begins on 19 July with a friendly in Sweden against Leeds United, followed by a Premier League tournament in the US from 26 July to 3 August. The club then hosts Fiorentina at Old Trafford on 9 August.
Amorim defended the decision to undertake the post-season trip, calling it a “small sacrifice” that helps the club maintain connections with its worldwide fanbase.
Defender Harry Maguire accepted the club’s decision, stating, “It is the club’s decision and we don’t have any right to argue against it after the performances we have put on. As players, we have to take responsibility for the position in the Premier League and the money we have generated this season through that finish, which is nowhere near good enough.”
Financially, the club is under strain. This will be only the second season since 1990 that United will miss out on European football, causing a significant revenue shortfall estimated at around £100 million. Recently, United announced redundancies at their Carrington training ground, part of ongoing cost-cutting since new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement last year. Over the past five years, the club has lost more than £370 million.
The post-season tour follows a trend among Premier League clubs, with Tottenham and Newcastle having traveled to Australia last year for similar friendlies—a move criticized by pundits including Alan Shearer as “madness.”
Concerns over player welfare are rising, especially given the expanded European competitions and the introduction of FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup next month in the US.
Former Manchester City defender Michael Brown told BBC Radio 5 Live, “At the end of the season, you walk around the pitch and you get that feeling of ‘I’m done, I’m finished’ and you want to put your feet up and have a mental rest before the international games. I understand why they want to do it financially, but it shouldn’t be allowed.”
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson added, “Not a single one of those players will want to go, but they are commercially obliged to go in their contracts.”
As Manchester United embark on this challenging post-season journey, the hope is that the club can balance financial needs with player welfare while preparing for a more successful campaign next season.
