Man Utd U21s will play at Old Trafford next week, but there is a significant price increase for tickets for the game.
The U21s will play Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford.(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
Manchester United have increased ticket prices for an upcoming academy fixture at Old Trafford.
The Under-21s will play Athletic Bilbao in the Premier League International Cup at Old Trafford next week. Adults will be charged £10 to attend, while tickets for children are priced at £5.
United have told fans "academy players and staff would greatly appreciate your support" but they have decided to significantly raise ticket prices for the academy fixture against Bilbao.
In November, United charged £3 for adults and £1.50 for children to watch the Under-19s against AZ Alkmaar at Old Trafford. That meant the total cost for one adult and one child to attend that game was £4.50, yet the same tickets for the clash with Bilbao will now cost £15 - a 233% increase.
The Manchester Evening News have approached United for comment.
The U21s play their home fixtures in the league at Leigh Sports Village, which is 13 miles away from Old Trafford, and tickets for those fixtures have previously been free of charge.
Ticket prices have been a source of controversy since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in United last year.
United made the mid-season decision to raise matchday ticket prices to £66 per game in the Premier League, with no concessions for children or pensioners.
Fans organised protests against the price hike and Ratcliffe added fuel to the fire in his interview with the United We Stand magazine, saying that "it doesn't make sense" for a United ticket to cost less than a ticket to watch London-club Fulham.
In Ratcliffe's United We Stand interview, he said of the anger at the ticket price rises: "I understand that. I was brought up on a council estate in Manchester, I absolutely get that.
"I don't want to end up in a position where the genuine local fans can't afford to come, but I do want to optimise the ticketing. We need to find a balance. And you can't be popular all the time either. Here, we're talking about three per cent of the tickets. That's not the issue.
"The issue, as you say, is whether this is the thin edge of the wedge. I don't think it makes sense for a Manchester United ticket to cost less than a ticket to see Fulham."
Told that wages are higher in London, Ratcliffe continued: "I get that. I'm not sure there's an answer that keeps everybody happy, but we need to keep the majority happy."
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