It may not be 'business as usual' for any club: Ed Woodward

United have been linked with a number of significant signings including a 228 million Euros bid for England captain and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane but Woodward suggested that such signings may be difficult to find this season across the board.

"We have always believed that our commercial model gives us greater resilience than most clubs and we are grateful for the enduring support of our commercial partners in helping us achieve that," he told a fans' forum on Friday.

"However, nobody should be under any illusions about the scale of the challenge facing everyone in football and it may not be 'business as usual' for any clubs, including ourselves, in the transfer market this summer."

Woodward said that the speculations around the big transfers this summer "ignore the realities facing the sport."

Football in Europe has been under suspension for over a month due to the coronavirus pandemic. United were fighting for Champions League qualification in the Premier League and are still in contention in the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League.

Woodward said that he hoped that the season could resume in some form or the other.

"And while it may be that games need to be played behind closed doors in the shorter term, we all recognise that football will not be fully back to normal until supporters are once again in attendance," he said.

Despite the downturn in results since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, United remains one of the biggest football brands in the world. While they haven't taken advantage of the British government's coronavirus job reduction scheme, Woodward said that even United are not immune to the financial ramifications of the shutdown.

"Of course, everyone is grappling with the economic realities of the pandemic and we are no different, so the longer the crisis continues the greater the impact will be for every club, including ourselves," he said.