Man Utd fans in disbelief after seeing what their players were doing hours after final game of the season against Aston Villa

To the surprise of many, Manchester United are already embarking on their so-called 'lucrative' pre-season tour, just hours after the club's final game of the season against Aston Villa.

United confirmed back in April that they will kick off their busy pre-season schedule with two fixtures in Asia.

In total, Ruben Amorim's side will travel nearly 7,000 miles to take part in a two-game tour of Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, a decision that will see them earn a reported £8 million amid their fight to avoid Premier League Profit and Sustainability rule breaches.

A picture on the club's social media channels confirmed that a number of academy graduates have been included in Amorim's 32-man travelling squad, including Tyler Fletcher, Jack Moorhouse, Jim Thwaites, and the highly-rated Shea Lacey.

First-team regulars Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte have also travelled alongside Mason Mount and Alejandro Garnacho, who is expected to leave Old Trafford this summer after being told to find a new club.

Ruben Amorim and his United squad ahead of their flight to Asia. Image credit: Manchester United/X

United will travel to the 84,000-capacity Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on May 28 for their opening game of the tour against ASEAN All Stars. They will then face Hong Kong on the afternoon of May 30.

"The club last visited Kuala Lumpur in 2009, and Hong Kong in 2013, but the bond between United and the club’s millions of loyal fans across Asia remains as strong as ever," a statement from United read.

"The fixtures in May provide a unique opportunity for the players and staff to connect directly with fans in Asia, and for the club to activate with its valued commercial partners in the region."

After their trip to Asia, United will begin their pre-season preparations for 2025/26 with a July friendly against Leeds in Sweden. A tour of the United States will then commence, which features three games as part of the Premier League Summer Series.

United's chief executive Omar Berrada has also voiced his thoughts on the pre-season trip to Asia.

He said: "We appreciate the amazing level of support that Manchester United enjoys around the world and this summer we are delighted to deliver a schedule that provides our fans in Asia, Scandinavia and the United States the opportunity to connect with the club and watch the men’s first team play live in local settings.

"Importantly, Tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch."

Berrada added: "They also create unique opportunities for us to collaborate with our valued commercial partners, and to deepen relationships with our fans in regions such as Asia and the US."

Here's how fans on social media reacted to United's pre-season tour starting just hours after their 2-0 victory over Aston Villa.

One said: "There are too many games in a season, players are too tired, let's scrap FA Cup replays.....five hours after the season finishes and they're travelling halfway across the world to play in friendlies, ahead of their preseason tour of the USA."

A second wrote: "You can't as a club complain about playing too many games and get FA Cup replays scrapped while also going on a pre-season tour only hours after the season ends."

A third commented: "Wait is this a joke? Last day of the prem was only 7 hours??" and a fourth said: "Ridiculous. Just remember these top level athletes play too many games a season."

A fifth added: "A reminder the Premier League season finished less than six hours ago but apparently FA Cup replays were too much of a burden and congested the schedule."

Amad has also been included in the travelling 32-man squad. Image credit: Manchester United/X

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