Manchester United Consider Behind Closed Doors Friendly Ahead of Premier League Opener

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Manchester United are reportedly evaluating the possibility of staging a behind-closed-doors friendly match just days before the start of the Premier League season, in a move aimed at fine-tuning squad readiness.

The club concluded their pre-season schedule with a home fixture against Fiorentina over the weekend, widely regarded as their final preparation before facing Arsenal in their opening league match. However, according to The Times, United are in discussions to arrange a private game against a local rival this week.

The decision is understood to be partly driven by the need to integrate new £74 million signing Benjamin Šeško into competitive match conditions ahead of his debut season in England. The 21-year-old striker joined from RB Leipzig and has been undergoing intensive training sessions.

Manager Ruben Amorim is also contending with a goalkeeping selection dilemma. First-choice goalkeeper André Onana remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, placing his availability for Sunday’s fixture in doubt. In his absence, Altay Bayındır, who has only made four Premier League appearances, could be called upon.

A private friendly would provide Amorim with an opportunity to assess Onana’s match fitness before making a final decision. It could also offer further evaluation of Bayındır’s readiness for top-flight competition.

United have been linked with potential goalkeeping reinforcements during the summer transfer window, with Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez and Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma among reported targets. Martínez appeared to wave goodbye to Aston Villa fans at the end of last season, while Donnarumma has just one year remaining on his PSG contract and is reportedly unlikely to extend, with the French club prepared to sell.

United have already invested £210 million on three new forwards this summer and are expected to sell players before making further additions. The club signed Onana from Inter Milan in 2023 for £47 million after David de Gea was not offered a new contract. De Gea subsequently joined Fiorentina and recently returned to Old Trafford for a friendly, where he expressed optimism about United’s prospects.

“Sometimes this is football, you can’t win all the time,” De Gea said. “I know it’s been some years that United struggle a bit but it’s one of the best clubs in the world. It’s a massive club and hopefully this year with the new signings and the manager starting a new era they can do something big. Hopefully this year they can win something and be there where they deserve.”

The club’s pre-season itinerary has been unconventional, beginning with a post-season tour of Asia in May, followed by matches across Europe and the United States. If the behind-closed-doors fixture proceeds, it would add a final layer of preparation ahead of the competitive campaign.