Premier League Clubs Set to Participate in the Summer Series in the United States
Multiple sources have revealed that Manchester United, Bournemouth, West Ham United, and Everton are in advanced discussions to take part in the Premier League’s Summer Series event in the United States at the end of July.
This will be the second edition of the pre-season tournament, with the games expected to be held in Atlanta, New Jersey, and Chicago. While the final lineup is not yet confirmed, these four clubs are set to participate, as they currently occupy comfortable positions in the Premier League table.
West Ham United are ten points clear of the relegation zone, while Manchester United and Everton have a 12-point and 13-point cushion, respectively, following their resurgence under their respective managers. Bournemouth, the highest-placed team in the division scheduled to play in the series, are seeking to grow their market share and fanbase in the United States, where their American owner, Bill Foley, also controls the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL.
Bournemouth’s squad includes 42-time United States international Tyler Adams, as well as the promising 18-year-old American prospect Matai Akinmboni, which further adds to the appeal of the club’s involvement in the Summer Series.
Premier League’s Attempts to Secure Additional Top Teams
The Premier League had initially hoped to sign up one other leading team alongside Manchester United, specifically Liverpool or Arsenal. However, the former decided to accept a more appealing offer to travel to Asia in the summer, while the latter are expected to do the same.
The Summer Series will not begin until after the conclusion of the FIFA Club World Cup, which is also being hosted in the U.S. and includes Chelsea and Manchester City.
Manchester United’s participation in the Summer Series is in addition to their post-season trip to Malaysia and Hong Kong, which they hope will earn them $10 million (£7.9 million) in revenue at a time when further redundancies are expected to be made to their workforce.
The Premier League had initially planned to host the Summer Series in 2024 but decided to cancel the event due to numerous complications around organizing the event, as leading clubs had already arranged their summer tours, and the broadcasting schedule was filled by other major events in the U.S., such as the Copa America and the Olympic Games in Paris.
The inaugural 2023 edition of the Summer Series was held from July 22 to July 30, with each team playing three fixtures. The league reported that more than 260,000 fans attended the series, exceeding their internal projections. NBC, the Premier League’s exclusive U.S. broadcaster, screened the first Summer Series event, which included Brentford, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Fulham, and Brighton. Chelsea emerged victorious, securing two wins and a draw, finishing ahead of Aston Villa in second and Newcastle United in third.
Overall, the Premier League’s Summer Series in the U.S. represents an exciting opportunity for these clubs to engage with their American fanbase and continue to grow their global presence.
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Stay tuned for more updates on the Premier League’s Summer Series and the participating teams as the event draws closer. Follow your favorite clubs and their preparations for this exciting pre-season tournament.
