Manchester United have already banked a hefty sum from clever transfer clauses and could earn millions more from sell-on deals
The January transfer window has been open for 10 days and it’s shaping up to be a hectic month for Manchester United, particularly following the recent departure of manager Ruben Amorim on Monday.
In addition to generating funds from player sales during this window, United are also set to profit from special clauses inserted into deals when former players left Old Trafford. They’ve already seen returns from Anthony Elanga, Alvaro Fernandez and Maxi Odeyele, as well as a few other transfer-related clauses.
Chelsea forked out £5m to United to cancel their obligation to purchase Jadon Sancho, while Marseille transferred another £5m for securing Champions League football with Mason Greenwood in the squad, resulting in them acquiring an additional 10% of his economic rights.
Taking into account the three aforementioned transfers and the Sancho/Greenwood details, United have raked in an impressive £25.6m. However, they could be set to earn even more money in the forthcoming months and years.
United have included a substantial 40% sell-on clause in Greenwood’s contract, which means that they’ll receive just under half of the fee if Marseille decide to sell him.
During his time at Old Trafford, Greenwood was considered one of the most promising young talents in European football with a sky-high potential.
However, in 2022 he faced charges of rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour, but these charges were dropped in 2023. Greenwood denied all allegations.
He never made a return to play for United and was loaned out to Getafe for the 2023/2024 season before signing a permanent contract with Marseille – where he has been performing well.
Scott McTominay, currently playing the best football of his career at Napoli, departed United in August 2024, with his former club incorporating a 10% sell-on clause into the contract. Given McTominay’s quality, this 10% could prove highly lucrative for United in the future.
Zidane Iqbal’s deal includes a substantial 40% sell-on clause, with the ex-United player currently playing for Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Highly-rated young player Hannibal Mejbri signed for Burnley in 2024, with a hefty 50% sell-on clause included in his contract.
It’s likely that there are additional sell-on clauses in other contracts, positioning United to potentially earn a significant amount of money in the upcoming transfer windows, especially if these players command high transfer fees.
Should Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee decide to move on in the January window, it would be prudent for United to include substantial sell-on clauses in their contracts, particularly for Mainoo – a player of exceptional talent with enormous potential.
