It has been reported that the Glazer family may decide to take Manchester United OFF the market, with initial bids from interested buyers failing to meet the £6 billion asking price for the club.
The Glazer family have been considering selling the club since November last year, however recent reports from the Sun suggest that they may be reconsidering their decision to sell. The Newspaper has claimed that the Glazers are currently considering a number of options – including scrapping the entire sale process altogether.
The Glazer family purchased the club in 2005 for £790 million. Since then, they have faced criticism from fans for the way they have managed things, with the condition of Old Trafford and a lack of reinvestment into the club’s infrastructure being the primary issues.
The Glazers’ decision to sell the club came after a wave of protests from fans in 2021, who wanted to show their distaste with the way the club was being run. The protests involved fans breaking onto the pitch at Old Trafford before Manchester United played Liverpool in a Premier League matchup. This resulted in the postponement of the game – the first time this has ever happened in a Premier League fixture due to fan protests. Joel Glazer was forced to release a statement apologizing for their role in the failed European Super League and the “unrest” that it had caused.
Since the announcement of the sale, several parties have expressed interest in purchasing Manchester United, including Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. However, reports suggest that initial bids will be rejected with the Glazers holding out for their £6 billion asking price. This high price tag has been a sticking point for potential buyers and is considerably higher than the value of other football clubs that have been sold in recent years.
Sheikh Jassim has reportedly said that he is ready to walk away from the bidding process for United if the Glazer family will not lower their asking price. It has been reported by Sky Sports that despite the understanding that the winning bidder for the club will overpay, Sheikh Jassim won’t be reckless with his spending.
On top of this, it was reported at the end of last month that the Glazers may be interested in staying at the club despite putting it up for sale. A combination of an unwillingness to reduce the £6 billion price tag, plus some of the family wishing to remain with the club, may well spell trouble for Manchester United and their fans.
The news may be unsavoury for United’s committed fan base who, following years of openly voiced (and demonstrated) frustrations, were no doubt hoping to see the back of the American family. The only real hope for fans at Old Trafford is for a bidder to bite the bullet and pay the enormous sum, or for the Glazers to yield on the asking price.
Considering that many of the frustrations towards the family were due to the way that the club was used to make a profit and not to benefit its legacy, the latter may well be a pipe dream.
It remains to be seen whether or not this will be the end of the Glazer era at Old Trafford, with the club’s future perhaps less clear now than ever before.
