'I genuinely believe' - Man Utd told exactly how to turbocharge revenue amid £235m investment plans

Investment into Old Trafford that would improve the matchday experience for Manchester United fans could be the catalyst for 'revolutionary' revenue growth, according to a football finance expert.

Despite failing to win a Premier League title for over a decade and regularly missing out on  Champions League qualification, United remains one of the world's richest clubs. Recently published accounts showed an  income of £648million for 2022-23 - a club record. 

But United did drop to fifth in the most recent Deloitte Football Money League, with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City out ahead. The top teams share common ground in having state-of-the-art stadiums and Tim Bridge, the lead partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group, pointed to Old Trafford as the key area to invest in.

"What is so impressive (about United) is that resilience, that ability to continue to generate significant commercial return in the market, to find new (commercial) partners," Bridge told the Press Association. "They have this way to engage with commercial partners in a way that few other clubs can.

"But you could also flip it around and also talk about what is the scale of the opportunity if they got it right. There have been a lot of reports around the current conditions at Old Trafford, there has been a lot of comparison to other football stadiums and the overall offering.

"I genuinely believe that if they had a genuine matchday offering that kept the fans in and around the stadium in the way that you have at somewhere like Tottenham, the results from a revenue perspective could be revolutionary and really outplay the rest of the competition.

"Because they still generate £100m-plus from Old Trafford and yet in experience terms, compared to what is also available on the market, or what may be available on the market from a Real Madrid or a Barcelona in the future, then the two are probably not comparable. So the strength of their brand, the strength of their fanbase, the loyalty is absolutely incredible and is extremely resilient and impressive."

That investment does look set to come once Sir Jim Ratcliffe's stake in United is fully ratified. Confirmation came on Christmas Eve that the INEOS chief would pay more than £1billion for a 25% share, pledging also to invest a separate $300m (£235m) into club infrastructure.

Old Trafford was once among Europe's most modern grounds but has been the subject of neglect under the Glazers. Investment into the ground has been minor, if any, and it has become a point of mockery with leaking roofs and crumbling walls.