Manchester United have announced that they will be facing arch-rivals Liverpool as part of their pre-season plans in 2022, with the Red Devils set to lock horns with old adversaries from Merseyside in Thailand on July 12.
Premier League heavyweights from Old Trafford are hoping to be under new management by the time their preparations for the start of the 2022-23 campaign begin in earnest, with current interim coach Ralf Rangnick due to move upstairs into a consultancy role.
One of the first challenges facing any incoming boss, amid links to the likes of Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino, will be a meeting with familiar domestic foes when a Bangkok Century Cup clash is taken in.
What has been said?
A statement from United on the club’s official website reads: “Tour 2022 will see Manchester United travelling to Bangkok, Thailand, and Melbourne, Australia, with more exciting fixtures to come.
“To kick things off, United will face rivals Liverpool in an unmissable game on 12 July at the Rajamangala Stadium in Thailand's capital as the club visits the city for the first time since 2013.
“The squad will then fly to Australia for United’s first visit to Melbourne since 1999. Fans will be able to see the Reds play at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground against local A-League team Melbourne Victory on July 15th, and against Premier League rivals Crystal Palace on July 19th.”
Man Utd pre-season fixtures
Date | Opposition | Location |
|---|---|---|
July 12 | Liverpool | Thailand |
July 15 | Melbourne Victory | Australia |
July 19 | Crystal Palace | Australia |
The bigger picture
It remains to be seen who will be heading to Asia and Australasia with United both on and off the field.
While the club are in the market for a new permanent manager, there is also plenty of transfer talk to be found regarding movement in and out in the next window.
Cristiano Ronaldo is tied to a contract through to 2023, but is seeing questions asked of his future, while Paul Pogba continues to run his contract down towards free agency.
The Red Devils are expected to be in the market for another No.9, with Tottenham talisman Harry Kane still a potential target, while West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
For Liverpool, they will be hoping to still have Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane on their books, with the Egyptian and Senegalese forwards approaching the final 12 months of their respective deals with no extensions agreed as yet.