Chelsea and Man United are in the planning stages of tours to the United States for pre-season friendlies this summer, sources have told World Soccer Talk.
Multiple sources have told World Soccer Talk that Chelsea will likely train at a location near the US east coast, possibly in North Carolina, and use it as their hub to minimize travel times.
Meanwhile, sources have also told World Soccer Talk that Chelsea have approached a number of clubs as possible opponents this summer, including Wrexham AFC, Leeds United, Newcastle and Brighton.
While early details are scant, the London club hopes to use Todd Boehly’s connections to maximize their commercial value in the country.
Additionally, the sheer number of new players the American owner has brought to the club will be instrumental in drawing crowds to these aforementioned friendlies.
Fans will be eager to catch a glimpse of Mykhailo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and Benoit Badiashile as Chelsea plan a second straight pre-season trip to the United States.
Man United and Chelsea tours of the United States would be ideal this summer
One of the few things the Glazer family and their acolytes got right was an assessment that on-pitch performance didn’t really have an impact on Manchester United’s financial power.
This has generally been true, however their global popularity has waned somewhat, especially in areas where fans are not necessarily born into a specific culture that a club represents.
Supporting Man United hasn’t been fashionable or fun in recent years, but the club retains a massive following in the United States.
The recent uptick in sporting success under Erik ten Hag has only served to rejuvenate the club’s extensive fan base, and the club looks to build on its renewed popularity with a return to the United States in 2023.
According to ESPN, Manchester United are likely to have a friendly against Wrexham in July, with San Diego as the most likely host for the match.
Meanwhile, sources have told World Soccer Talk that Manchester United are considering a friendly match to be played in Las Vegas this summer. In related news, Barcelona and Real Madrid are also considering Las Vegas as a destination for a game this summer.
Manchester United have not toured America since 2018, when José Mourinho was still manager.
COVID-19 had a huge impact on potential touring plans during the height of the pandemic, but the club is now free to travel.
While there has been no official club confirmation of these tour plans from Chelsea or Manchester United, Wrexham (owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney) have released a statement regarding their summer plans.
“The club can confirm that our previously published plans to tour the US during pre-season are at an advanced stage, but not yet finalized,” the statement read.
“Full details of the games the club will be playing in and where will be released via the club’s communication channels when confirmed.”
Man United ownership still ‘up in the air’
While ESPN has suggested that Manchester United will head to Las Vegas as part of their tour, some fans would not want to bet on who will own them once the tour begins.
The Glazer family remain as unpopular a family as any in the North West of England and have opened up avenues of exploration in regards to new investment/complete sale.
Sources indicate that the preference is for a deal before the end of the current season, marking Man United’s pre-season tour of the United States as the first of a new era for the club.
Photo: IMAGO / Sportimage
