Pretty shocking really. But it's not just United is it, most of Europe "Richest" clubs are in serious debt. Real Madrids is ÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃâÃââÃÆââââ¬à ¡ÃâìÃÆââ¬Â¦ÃâáÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã800 million, Barca ÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃâÃââÃÆââââ¬à ¡ÃâìÃÆââ¬Â¦ÃâáÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã600 million, Liverpool ÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââ¬Â âââ‰â¢ÃÆÃâÃââÃÆââââ¬à ¡ÃâìÃÆââ¬Â¦ÃâáÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã600 million. I would like to see clubs be more responsible, success is all fine and well but not off the back of ridiculous debt. Fortunately for Man Utd they have a worldwide fanbase unlike Chelsea or Arsenal who are big teams but nowhere near as big as Real, Barca, Liverpool and Man Utd. The global teams can count on money outside of their own country and TV revenues. Whereas Chelsea, Arsenal and now Man City must count on rich owners to service this debt.
Bring in rules that state football clubs can only spend what they earn and that they can not be bought with debt secured on the club. The likes of Man United would be fine spending what they earned and it would serve to stop the likes of Real Madrid and Man City handing out ridiculous wages and distorting the whole footballing market.
I reckon the solution would be along the lines of what Mick said. If they were to restrict clubs to spending a set % of there revenue on wages then the finances could start to be brought under control, just as long as crazy transfer fees stopped. There was the spell at the turn of the decade when transfer fees spiralled completely out of control and Man Utd, like all other huge clubs, had to spend big in order to keep their status as being a worldwide brand. I don't know the details of the Glazers purchase of Man Utd, but didn't they take hundreds of millions in loans in order to buy Man Utd and then as soon as they had control, they lumped all the loans into the name of Utd? If thats the case then that should definetely not be allowed to happen again.