Man Utd pre-season plans: Summer 2023 friendlies, player returns, kit launch & transfer dates

It looks set to be another busy summer at Manchester United, with no shortage of players being linked with a move to the club across June.

While the transfer talk will continue over the coming weeks and months, the attention will shift slightly during July and August as preparations for the 2023/24 begin. The players will return to training next month, while there are seven pre-season friendlies scheduled at this stage, including four in America as part of the 2023 summer tour.

With kit launches and transfer activity, there is plenty to keep track of. Below, we’ve rounded up the major dates to look out for.

Pre-season friendlies

It’s a busy summer of matches for United, which begins on 12 July when the Red Devils play old rivals Leeds United in Oslo, while a week later they’ll face Lyon at Edinburgh’s famous Murrayfield Stadium, with the French side managed by former defender Laurent Blanc.

It’s then off on the US tour for Ten Hag’s men, with the team playing matches in New Jersey, San Diego, Houston and Las Vegas. It’s Arsenal up first before a clash against the recently promoted Wrexham. Real Madrid follow in Texas, before it all wraps up against Borussia Dortmund in ‘Sin City’.

The following weekend - the last before the new Premier League season kicks off - United will travel to Dublin to face Athletic Bilbao. The game takes place on 6 August and there were reports in the Manchester Evening News that United will look to add another fixture the day before and split the squad across both games. Ten Hag did the same last year, playing Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in back-to-back days over the last weekend of pre-season.

United also have little bit of extra time to prepare for the 2023/24 campaign given they are the last match of the opening weekend, and host Wolverhampton Wanderers on 14 August.

Full list of pre-season fixtures

Wed 12 July: Leeds - Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo (4pm)

Wed 19 July: Lyon - Murrayfield, Edinburgh (2pm)

Sat 22 July: Arsenal - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (10pm)

Wed 25 July: Wrexham - Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego (3:30am)

Thu 27 July: Real Madrid - NRG Stadium, Houston (3:30am)

Mon 31 July: Dortmund - Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas (2am)

Sat 5 August: ?

Sun 6 August: Athletic Bilbao, Aviva Stadium, Dublin (4pm)

Players returning

United players will be back in early July, most probably Monday 3. Those involved in the recent international fixtures will continue to join the squad over the subsequent weeks, with all players back by mid-July, certainly in time for the start of the tour to America.

Kit launch

The 2023/24 home kit will be launched on 27 June, although images have already been leaked which supposedly show the new shirt.

Transfer dates

The transfer market opened on 14 June and closes on 1 September. United have not yet been involved in any major moves, but have announced the departures of Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe with their contracts expiring.

Last summer, the Red Devils didn’t complete their first bit of business until Tyrell Malacia signed on 6 July, while the arrivals of Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez followed later that month. The transfers of Casemiro and Antony weren’t completed until the latter stages of the window, and the early indications are it could be a similarly slow market for United this year.