Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold met with a group of supporters on Saturday to discuss the Glazer family's ownership of the club and their transfer plans this summer.
A small group of United fans had claimed to be arranging to hold a 'peaceful and legal' protest at the gates of Arnold’s home in Cheshire on Saturday, but the Chief Executive Officer of the club averted such an event by meeting face-to-face with the group at a pub.
Arnold had received a tip-off about the event, whereby the fans had planned to hold banners and chant about the CEO and the Glazer family both leaving United. Arnold then visited the pub where the band of supporters had met before the protest to address them directly.
One of the supporters managed to film Arnold’s reply to their questions, whereby he addressed a number of issues including the Glazer’s ownership of the club, potential transfer targets and whether funds would be available.
While Arnold’s words appeared to be frank and honest in an attempt to placate disgruntled fans – with United yet to confirm any new signings this summer – and he did confirm that funds were available this summer, he did concede that the situation at the club was far from ideal.
The CEO criticised the club’s transfer policy, which he described as “burning through cash” and that any future plans to build a new stadium or to revamp the club’s training facilities would need investment into the club.
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Arnold was filmed saying: “We have spent £1billion on players, more than anyone in Europe. I am not thrilled with where we are and it does not sit easily on whether we can get sorted for the future. But what happened is we f***ing burned through cash.
“You can’t go to our training ground and ask where the £1billion is because I don’t think we have done well with the money we have spent historically. I’m not here to defend Joel Glazer, he can only speak for himself. I want to talk you, you have come here to make your views known and I respect that.
“We have blown through an enormous amount of money; for this summer, the money that the manager and the Director of Football wants, is there. For the future, for investing in a new stadium and that sort of stuff, to get a £250million training ground – we have got to do something. We have got to get investors in.
“I need investors to do what I want to do with the club. No stadium can be built by any club without that, you either borrow the money or get investors. The money has got to come from somewhere.
“You may not like our current owners, I cannot help that, but if you want someone else to come in – they have to look, and say ok, the fans love the club and love the team. “Last year was a nightmare, it was a f***king nightmare. I was hating every game. There were the protests.”
Adding on the club's transfer this summer, Arnold said: "Money is not a consideration in who we want. It is if the manager wants him and if he has done his homework on the player. It is £100million or £200million? Do you want me buying the players? Does that not ring a bell?"
