United to face Spurs in Shanghai summer clash
Manchester United fans at the team hotel after the preseason match against fellow English Premier League side Manchester City was called off in Beijing, in this July 25, 2016, photo.
Manchester United will play English Premier League top-four rival Tottenham Hotspur in a preseason glamour friendly in Shanghai, the Old Trafford club said on Wednesday.
At least six major English clubs will visit China this summer with Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers taking part in the Premier League Asia Trophy on July 17 in Nanjing and July 20 in Shanghai.
United will take on Inter Milan at the National Stadium in Singapore on July 20, before travelling to Shanghai to face Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs at Hongkou Stadium on July 25, by which time the future of interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is likely to be resolved.
Conditions are likely to be testing in Shanghai in July, when temperatures can exceed 30 degrees Celsius with high humidity and the likelihood of heavy rain.
But the EPL and clubs see such trips as a prime opportunity to expand their fan bases in China, the world's second-biggest economy.
This will be United's fourth visit to Shanghai, the last time being 2016, when Jose Mourinho was in charge.
On the same tour, the first Manchester derby to be played overseas had to be cancelled at the last minute when the pitch at Beijing's "Bird's Nest" stadium was deemed unplayable because of rain. And United lost to Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai in its last match in China.
United in January said it was opening a series of "entertainment and experience centers" in China, where it claims to have more than 100 million followers.
Barcelona is also scheduled to visit China in the summer.
United has one summer game in Wales as well, where it is scheduled to play AC Milan at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on August 3 in the final match of its preseason tour.
These matches will be in addition to the two previously announced games against Perth Glory and Leeds United on July 13 and July 17, respectively.
"These games, and the tour overall, will not only assist in our preseason preparations, but also provide entertaining football and an opportunity to interact with our loyal fans in Australasia and Asia," United's executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said in a statement.
"This will be our third visit to Singapore and our 15th preseason visit to China and we're excited to be returning to both countries to play against top-class opposition there."
