Cape Argus

Who could be potential United buyers?

-

MANCHESTER United’s owners, the Glazer family, are considerin­g selling the club as they explore “strategic alternativ­es”. If the Glazers decided to follow through with the sale of the Old Trafford club, here are some of the possible buyers:

JIM RATCLIFFE

British billionair­e Ratcliffe, a longstandi­ng fan of the 20-time English champions, declared his interest in August but said two months later he was told by the Glazers that the Premier League side was not for sale when he contacted the family.

He also failed this year in an attempt to buy London club Chelsea, which was ultimately bought by an investment group led by American Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Ratcliffe’s name was widely mentioned among United fans as someone many would welcome, although there are fears that he might be priced out with some estimates putting the club’s worth at over $4.5billion. Chemical firm INEOS, where Ratcliffe is chairperso­n, declined to comment.

The Financial Times said former England captain and United midfielder David Beckham was open to having talks with potential bidders interested to boost their chances of buying the club.

As a player, the former Real Madrid and Los Angeles Galaxy man won many trophies but, as a co-owner of Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, he has endured a bumpy path.

Beckham remains a popular figure at Old Trafford as one of the leading players of United’s treble-winning campaign under manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 1998-99 and his long history with the club will be a bonus for any consortium.

RED KNIGHTS

In 2010, the Red Knights, a group involving former English Football League chair Keith Harris, then Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill, and British investor Paul Marshall had put their plan to buy the club on hold due to “speculatio­n in the media of inflated valuation aspiration­s”.

O’Neill and Marshall wrote to United co-chairperso­n Joel Glazer last year seeking immediate corporate governance reforms, after the club’s plans last year to be part of a European Super League – which ultimately fell through – was met with widespread criticism.

The Manchester Evening News reported on Wednesday that O'Neill may consider pursuing a takeover, but only if the Glazers lower their current “unrealisti­c” demands.

Asked by the BBC if he needed to raise £4bn to buy United, O’Neill said: “I’m not sure if it’ll necessaril­y be that much, but let’s see.”

MIDDLE EASTERN INVESTORS

United’s local rivals Manchester City are bankrolled by the Abu Dhabi United Group, while Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund completed a controvers­ial £300million buyout of Newcastle United in 2021.

Paris Saint-Germain are owned by Qatar Sports Investment­s and rumours have swirled that investors from another Gulf country may be keen on buying United, with a report in the Arabian Business saying Dubai investors could be interested.

ELON MUSK

Musk, the world’s richest person, briefly lifted the gloom over United’s shares and lifted fans’ hopes in August by tweeting that he was buying the club – only to clarify a little later it was all part of “a long-running joke”.

Some of the club’s fans had previously urged Musk on Twitter to consider buying the club, complainin­g at what they see as under-investment by the Glazers.

| Reuters

 ?? NEIL HALL ?? DAVID Beckham has been mentioned among potential buyers of Manchester United.
| EPA
NEIL HALL DAVID Beckham has been mentioned among potential buyers of Manchester United. | EPA

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from South Africa