There’s a whole world of ideas out there for investors to consider for their Stocks and Shares ISAs. Whether it’s car firms (Tesla and Ferrari) or banks (Lloyds and HSBC), the options are almost endless.
Indeed, it’s even possible to invest in one of the world’s most famous football clubs — Manchester United (NYSE:MANU).
Though given the firm is listed across the pond, perhaps I should instead call it a ‘soccer’ club? Only kidding, it’s football to me and always will be.
So, should I buy Manchester United shares for my ISA? Let’s get the ball rolling.
Disappointing share price form
The reason I’m considering the stock is because the club has just sacked its manager, Ruben Amorim. This hardly came as a surprise to me, as the team has been struggling for form and is nowhere near challenging for the Premier League title.
There have now been about eight or nine different coaches/managers at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. None has really set the world on fire.
This lack of sustained success partly explains why the share price has gone nowhere. At $16 per share, it’s down 5% in five years and basically flat over a decade.
So, long-term owners of this stock haven’t done well at all.
A loss-making firm
There has been no real bounce in the share price since Amorin was sacked. And that’s probably because the club will have to fork out to pay him off, as it did in its last 2024/25 fiscal year (FY25) when it sacked previous manager Erik ten Hag.
In FY25, covering the 12 months months to the end of June 2025, the company reported record revenue of £666m. That’s a fitting number for a team called the ‘Red Devils’!
However, that was up less than 1% from the £662m it generated the year before. And the firm still reported a £33m loss, though that was significantly lower than the £113m loss from the 2023/24 fiscal year. The club has been cutting costs.
Our commercial business remains strong as we continue to deliver appealing products and experiences for our fans…As we start to feel the benefits of our cost-reduction programme, there is significant potential for improved financial performance, which will, in turn, support
our overriding priority: success on the pitch.
CEO Omar Berrada, September 2025
Should I invest in Manchester United?
Not regularly competing in the elite Champions League competition has been hurting the company financially. And with no manager and lots of rival teams playing well, there’s no guarantee it will qualify for it this season (though it’s still possible).
Still, as a large Premier League club, Manchester United will always make decent revenue from broadcasting and commercial and matchday sales. However, I’m not keen on the consistent losses.
Also, the fact that the firm has to keep ploughing cash into the team rather than return it to investors via dividends or share buybacks doesn’t really make me want to invest.
Looking around today, I see a lot better stocks to buy for my portfolio. So, I’ll stick to watching the team on TV rather than investing my money in the company.
