TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Manchester United are considering playing lucrative friendlies overseas to fill the midweek void left by the absence of European football this season and their early Capital One Cup exit, as reported by The Guardian.

The 20-times English champions have forecast a 10 percent drop in revenue in 2014-2015 after they failed to qualify for the Champions League under David Moyes.

The struggles have left United with one midweek Premier League match before the end of 2014 and three in the first three months of 2015. Going overseas – the Middle East would be the most likely destination – would allow United to escape the English winter for a few days while the addition of Radamel Falcao and Ángel di María has made the club even more likely to attract lucrative contracts for friendlies.

“That’s something we continue to look at, as always making sure that the preparations we do on the pitch come first,” United’s managing director, Richard Arnold, said. “For many of our [pre-season] international tours, there is a plan to ensure we get that team building that goes together with getting the team all together in one place. That’s something that’s being looked at with regards to the future with Louis [van Gaal].”

Van Gaal said during United’s pre-season tour of the United States, shortly after taking over as manager, that the obligations to sponsors and the distances the team has to travel were “not very positive for a good preparation” for the Premier League campaign.

Arnold said there is no disagreement with Van Gaal over the possibility of taking on more commercial ventures.

“I can only speak positively of my experience with the manager in terms of his understanding of what’s required to get a first-class team on to the pitch and also what’s required for running a club of our magnitude,” Arnold said. “We have a fantastic partnership in terms of our work off the pitch and I’m very appreciative of the support we have had from him.”

THE GUARDIAN | AP