Manchester United have confirmed that the club will play friendlies in Malaysia and Hong Kong just a few days after the Premier League ends in May.
The club will then go on another tour in the US in July and August, where they will participate in the Premier League Summer Series alongside West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton.
Tours have traditionally been used by Premier League clubs to visit fans in other parts of the world such as Asia and North America. They are also a way for the clubs to generate significant revenue.
Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada said: “We appreciate the amazing level of support that Manchester United enjoys around the world and this summer we are delighted to deliver a schedule that provides our fans in Asia, Scandinavia and the United States the opportunity to connect with the club and watch the men’s first team play live in local settings.
“Importantly, tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch.
“They also create unique opportunities for us to collaborate with our valued commercial partners, and to deepen relationships with our fans in regions such as Asia and the US.”
The news has been met with criticism by some fans, who feel that team performance is being sacrificed for dollars. Manchester United are on course to finish in 13th place, their lowest in Premier League history, destroying the previous record which was 8th place last season with Erik ten Hag.
Critics of the tour feel that the summer should be spent closer to England, giving the players much needed rest, and focusing on recruiting the right players in the transfer window.
