Manchester United is looking for new sources of income by selling every piece of grass on Old Trafford to fans, while the club's financial situation is still under great pressure.
Small grass blocks are placed in black acrylic boxes, each part is 7x7 cm in size and is sold for £125. This is the grass that was replaced when Man United renovated the Old Trafford pitch in the summer, for the first time in 14 years.
This move appeared not long after Man United announced their financial statements for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Accordingly, the club recorded a pre-tax loss of £47 million, marking the seventh consecutive year of losses. Total losses in the last 7 years have reached £444 million.
However, Man United's core business operations have improved. Operating profit in 12 months as of June 30, 2026 reached 22.6 million pounds, compared to a loss of 18.4 million pounds in the previous year. Revenue also set a record of 677.6 million pounds.
However, this profit is not enough to help them escape financial pressure. Net financial expenses increased sharply from £21.2 million to £69.2 million, partly related to exchange rate fluctuations of USD loans.
The debt burden also expanded after the club restructured loans in the summer. Total debt increased from £471.9 million to £577.6 million. The "Red Devils" also withdrew £111 million from the revolving credit limit, raising total short-term and long-term debt at the end of the season to around £689 million.
Part of the capital from the refinancing process is used to buy a large land plot adjacent to Old Trafford for £63.5 million. This is the first step in the plan to build a new stadium with an expected capacity of 100,000 people. The project is said to cost more than £2 billion if completed.
Personnel costs also put more pressure on Man United's finances. The firing of Ruben Amorim in January caused the club to spend £8.2 million in compensation. This amount could be up to £16.7 million if Amorim could not find a new job, but his appointment by AC Milan in June helped them reduce the expenses to be paid.
Man United's financial picture is forecast to be more positive in the 2026-2027 season when the team returns to the Champions League. New commercial contracts with Betway and SumUp are also expected to add revenue. The club forecasts revenue this season in the range of 740-760 million pounds.
CEO Omar Berrada said that the latest figures reflect the strength in Man United's business operations, and emphasized that the club still has to maintain financial discipline.
In that context, the £125 Old Trafford grass patches may just be a small source of income. However, this approach shows that Man United is taking advantage of both commercial and symbolic assets to supplement revenue, while the club still has to handle large debts and incurred costs.
