Man Utd takeover latest as staff get response to concerns
Manchester United staff will reportedly be given clarity on the club’s ownership situation before the end of the season. The Red Devils were put on the market by the Glazer family last November, with Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe both putting forward bids to complete a full takeover.
Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe are among the interested parties who are set to meet officials from the club and Raine Group before the end of March, according to ESPN. They have both been invited for talks despite valuing the Red Devils at below the £6billion the Glazers are looking for.
It is hoped that a broad agreement could be in place by the end of April, in time for the new owners to be able to influence decisions that will need to be made during the summer transfer window.
The Glazers are prioritising offers of a full buy-out and could be willing to compromise on their valuation of the club. But they maintain that they are also exploring strategic alternatives which may include an investment that would allow them to keep control of the club.
Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer are said to be the two Glazer siblings most reluctant to let go of the 13-time Premier League champions, with the latter attending United’s Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle at Wembley last month.
Last year it was reported that the Glazer family were looking for a world-record price for a sports franchise in order to sell the club. The current record is held by American football team the Denver Broncos, who were sold for £3.85bn last year. And if the American family receive anywhere near their asking price, they will smash the record out of the ballpark.
“As we announced, the board went through a process and it was decided it’s going to look at different strategic alternatives and that’s what we’re doing,” Avram Glazer said in November. “We’ve gone through a process, we’re going to look at all different strategic alternatives and we’ll see where it leads us.”
United have enjoyed a precipitous upturn in fortunes on the pitch under Erik ten Hag this season and won their first trophy in six years when they got their hands on the Carabao Cup. However, they were brought back down to earth on Sunday as they suffered a 7-0 Premier League thrashing at the hands of Liverpool. The Red Devils are now 14 points adrift of top-flight leaders Arsenal but look set to at least qualify for next season’s Champions League.
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