Manchester United takeover ‘off’ as Glazer family hope to attract offers of £10billion in 2025
The Glazer family has decided to take Manchester United off the market as they have been unable to find a buyer willing to meet their asking price. This news comes as a disappointment to fans who were hopeful that a sale could be imminent. According to reports, the Glazers plan to try and sell the club again in 2025, hoping that financial and environmental factors will attract more potential buyers.
These factors include an increase in TV rights revenue, the expansion of FIFA’s Club World Cup, and the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the USA. The Glazers believe that these developments will generate interest from US billionaires and potentially raise the selling price of the club to up to £10 billion.
Earlier this year, Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Al Thani and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe both submitted bids worth around £5 billion for full control of Manchester United. However, no response was made public, and doubts began to arise about the Glazers’ willingness to sell the club.
It now appears that any potential deal will be put on hold for at least two years, which is not good news for former player David Beckham, who expressed his desire to see the club sold. Beckham emphasized the need for investment in the club, citing the success and stability of Manchester City as an example.
The Glazers’ decision to take Manchester United off the market is expected to anger fans who have long been critical of the owners. The lack of recent success and investment in infrastructure has been a source of frustration for supporters.
In the meantime, the Glazers have shown their support for manager Erik ten Hag and hope that he can lead the club to major victories in the next two seasons, which would potentially increase the sale price. However, fans remain eager for a change in ownership and believe that it is time for the Glazers to sell the club.
Today marks the official end to what could have been one of the biggest sports takeovers in history. Speculation about a Manchester United takeover had been rampant for months, but the Glazer family have now quashed those hopes.
Manchester United executive vice-chairman, Edward Woodward, said: “Given the current macroeconomic environment, in particular the continuing uncertainty posed by the Covid pandemic, our family is not considering selling its stake in this time.”
The Glazer family had been in discussions with potential buyers, reportedly talking to a group of Saudi investors with the aim of a deal totalling over £10billion. The deal would have seen the family relinquish their ownership of United, ending their ownership of the club which began in 2005.
The takeover talks had been put on hold in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and this has now forced the Glazer family to reconsider their plans. But they have not entirely ruled out the possibility of selling as they have expressed a willingness to consider offers in 2025.
This news has been welcomed by many of the club’s fans, who have been calling for the family to sell for many years. This was echoed by John-Paul O’Neil, a local Saturdays fan, who said: “For years United fans have been calling for the Glazer family to leave and they have finally seen some light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Manchester United takeover saga may have come to a close for now, but the Glazer family have stated they are open to offers in 2025 and this could certainly be a possibility in the future.