They meet Sunday afternoon to compare notes. The two Uniteds of Newcastle and Manchester standing side by side. Only one place and one point separates them. The Red Devils fifth and Magpies sixth.
Both allegedly spoilt little rich boys with our United supposedly carrying the title 'the richest club in the world.' Reality is quite another matter of course. The gap is as wide as the A1 is long. The Mags have an awful lot of flying to do to catch up with the Devils in terms of financial clout in the transfer marketplace.
Take their respective outlays. No fewer than nine of the current Manchester United squad have cost £50m or more. In total their arrival set back Old Trafford by a mighty £569.32m.
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Let me list them for you: Antony £85.5m, Harry Maguire £78.3m, Jadon Sancho £76.5m, Carlos Casimiro £63.59m, Bruno Fernandes £56.7m, Anthony Martial £54m, Fred £53.1m, Lisandro Martinez £51.63m, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka £50m.
That parade of extravagance is without Cristiano Ronaldo because his transfer fee in his waning later thirties was a mere £15.3m but his wages are more than a pretty penny! Reputed to be £500,000 a week. And of course the club also splashed out huge for two stars since departed - Paul Pogba at £94.5m and Romelu Lukaku £76.23m.
In comparison Newcastle's ceiling was a modest £40m until Alexander Isak was recruited in the last window for £60m but despite that healthy dollop in no way do the respective figures compare.
I know Newcastle will be spending a lot more in the not so distant future - this is hopefully just the beginning of a joyous ride - but the two clubs certainly do not meet on an equal playing field this particular Sunday.
Perhaps Manchester United are guilty of irresponsibly throwing bucketloads of crinkly notes around like confetti in a high wind given they have often failed to get value for money - Sancho, Maguire, Fred, Pogba and Lukaku for example. Their buying record is at best iffy.
Newcastle meanwhile, have, in the main, got what new owners have paid for which is how it ought to be. A significant difference between the clubs is that Financial Fair Play rules are currently heavily in favour of the hosts who have built up their portfolio over many years while Newcastle stagnated under Mike Ashley, a serious problem that has is about to be addressed with the appointment of Peter Silverstone as Chief Commercial Officer.
However what of Sunday's meeting of minds and purses? Do Newcastle tiptoe through a minefield that is a Premier League season or run full pelt? Is it about confidence or apprehension?
Well, things are looking up for the Mags. Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson are back cooking, Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximi n are ready to join them right now in what is a genuine double fillip, and Miggy Almiron has added intelligence and confidence to his relentless pursuit of the ball.
There are other encouraging signs. Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman are consistently class acts while Joe Willock is emerging into the sunlight of discovery.
There can be improvements of course and Eddie Howe will have been emphasising that this week. Complacency is not a word in his dictionary.
However Newcastle have lost only once in nine Premier League skirmishes so bring on Manchester United as the latest test of improvement made by a club aiming for the stars.
Another day is another challenge and this is bigger than some. Man U dare not allow the Theatre of Dreams to become a nightmare as they continue to search for life after Fergie. Too much money has already been wasted not on building bricks but crumbling sand.
United's defence is conceding on average a goal per game. They are much tighter than they once were after having literally bought a whole new back four and keeper. Only Fabian Schar has survived the cull having received an influx of confidence from the manager.
They will be tested this coming week. United have so far played only two of the so-called Super Six in Man City (3-3) and Liverpool (1-2) but on successive weekends now face Man U and Spurs both away.
Their last big scalp was Arsenal in the last home game of last season when a terrific display brought a 2-0 victory. A repeat either in Manchester or London would be sensational.
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