Manchester United s Asian influence declines: The former "money-making king" is now facing a cold

In recent years, Manchester United's global business influence has continued to decline, especially in the Asian market, which was once the most passionate about the Red Devils, and this trend has become increasingly obvious. The Asian tour in the summer of 2025 should be an important opportunity for Manchester United to revitalize their brand and narrow the distance between fans, but the reality is not optimistic.

The match was not full, and the box office was cold. In the just-concluded friendly match against the Hong Kong team in China, Manchester United encountered an embarrassing scene: the stadium was not full, and the atmosphere on the scene was far less than expected.

This phenomenon has caused concerns about the decline in Manchester United's brand appeal. Once upon a time, Manchester United was one of the most popular European clubs in Asia. But against the backdrop of poor record and turbulent lineup, this halo is gradually fading.

Old fans lost: From being envied to being teased

40-year-old Lee Nigel is the president of Manchester United's official fan club in Hong Kong, China, and a loyal Red Devils fan. He has been following the team since the 1991/92 season. However, Manchester United ranked only 15th in the Premier League this season, setting a worst record since 1974, which made him feel sad.

"In the past, I always showed off my jerseys with my colleagues, but now they laugh at me." He said, "Now Manchester United is no longer the giant that people look up to."

He also revealed that many fans chose to resell tickets at a low price because of disappointment with the team. The high ticket price also discouraged many people - an average ticket costs up to £200, which is as much as four times the amount during the tour in 2013.

The younger generation no longer buys

What is even more worrying is that Manchester United's influence among young fans is rapidly declining. For viewers under 18, they have little memory of Manchester United winning the Premier League title. This makes the new generation of fans more inclined to support the current more dominant team.

According to President Li, among the young groups, Manchester United's popularity has dropped to third place, behind Liverpool and Manchester City. "More and more young people are starting to wear Manchester City jerseys, not Manchester United," he said helplessly.

The glory of the past cannot hide today's predicament

As early as the 1990s, Manchester United opened up this market early through frequent Asian tours and commercial cooperation. Since 1995, they have continuously expanded their Asian territory and become the most commercially valuable football club in the world at that time.

However, with the decline in competitive performance, efforts over the years seem to be slowly eroding. Although each trip to Asia still brings about £8 million in revenue, the money obviously cannot fill a larger gap in Manchester United's increasingly tense financial situation.

British Daily Telegraph columnist Simon Chadwick pointed out: "For the older generation of Asian fans, Manchester United is a brand that carries memories. But for young people, it is difficult for them to resonate emotionally without success on the court."

As Nigel said: "Everything must start with performance on the court. In Asia, there is no family-born fan culture. Whoever wins the game will attract fans."

Manchester United's decline in the Asian market is not accidental, but the result of a long-term downturn at the competitive level. If the Red Devils want to win the hearts of fans again, they must reshape their competitiveness as soon as possible and make fans proud of wearing the red jersey again. Otherwise, this memory of glory can only stay in the past.