Salford City Are Carrying £20m of Debt to Their Famous Investors

In the 2024-25 season covered by these accounts, Salford City competed in the top half of League Two, continuing the steady rise the club has sustained since its high-profile takeover by a group including several members of Manchester United's 'Class of 92' alongside Gary Neville.

The accounts don't disclose a turnover figure for the period, but a pre-tax loss of around £4m for the year added to a net asset deficit already sitting at around minus £21m, much of it reflecting estimated borrowings of around £20m owed largely to the club's own ownership group.

That structure, financing growth through owner loans rather than outright grants, is common among ambitiously backed lower-league clubs, but it leaves Salford's headline net asset figures looking far weaker than the club's actual competitive position on the pitch might suggest.

Staff costs aren't separately disclosed in these filings, but the scale of the ongoing investment suggests a squad built to compete for promotion rather than one assembled to merely survive in League Two.

Salford's finances are a reminder that celebrity ownership doesn't mean debt-free growth, even for one of the most recognisable stories in England's lower leagues.