LD TRAFFORD

Apple eye up Mac-chester United

TECHNOLOGY giants Apple are interested in buying Manchester United in a stunning £5.8bn deal.

United owners the Glazers have decided to sell the club after caving in to the demands of those fans who have wanted them ousted. The Americans will sell the club to the highest bidder – and bosses of Apple have expressed an interest in discussing a potential deal. They are the largest tech company in the world with an

annual revenue of almost £326bn – and estimated net worth as of this month of £2tn.

The California-based firm have no experience of owning a club the size of United.

But CEO Tim Cook (inset) is keen to look at the opportunities owning the Red Devils could provide and will line-up talks with the banks appointed to oversee the sale, which include The Raine Group. Part of Cook’s plan could include Apple funding the building of a new stadium that would be regarded as the best in the world.

The Glazers had initially set an asking price of £8.25bn, as exclusively revealed in Starsport, but have been told this is unrealistic.

If Apple was to complete a deal it would make United the richest club in the world – their value dwarfs that belonging to the respective owners of Manchester City, Newcastle United and Paris-St Germain.

The Glazers, who bought United in 2005, will spend the next month talking to potential buyers – which is set to include British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.