The announcement that the Glazer family has put Manchester United up for sale after 17 years of ownership has already prompted a number of their fellow billionaires to express interest.
Manchester United is one of the most popular sports teams in the world, and the Glazers claimed in their announcement on Tuesday that United have 1.1 billion fans.
With Chelsea Football Club being sold for £4.25bn earlier in the year, the belief around Old Trafford is that it will take more than £5bn for any interested billionaire to win the race to buy Manchester United.
American tech giant Apple and Spanish fashion mogul Amancio Ortega have reportedly pitched their interest to Manchester United executives, joining a number of big names who have previously expressed a desire to take the reins at Old Trafford.
Speaking publicly for the first time since Tuesday’s announcement that the club was up for sale for the first time in 17 years, Avram Glazer said, when confronted by a Sky News reporter in Palm Beach, Florida, “As we announced yesterday, the The board said through a process and has decided that it is going to look at different strategic alternatives.’
Angry Manchester United fans have long protested before, during and after matches against the Glazer family estate, with a green and gold campaign that has grown increasingly prominent in the past decade.
However, the Glazers, who also own the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers football franchise, won’t be forced to go out on the cheap, and suitors won’t be able to gain control of United for a bargain price.
The Raine Group, which helped facilitate the joint acquisition of Chelsea by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in the summer, is acting as the Glazers’ exclusive financial adviser.
With Liverpool also on the market, after their owners Fenway Sports Group confirmed their willingness to sanction a full sale, both clubs are likely to be considered by interested bidders, but United remain an incredibly attractive proposition given the attraction commercial that the club has after decades of success.
The Glazers confirmed this week that they are ready to sell United after 17 years at the club.
News of the reported interest from US tech giant Apple was celebrated by fans on Thursday, with the world’s biggest tech company interested in acquiring the club for £5.8bn, according to the Daily Star.
Apple isn’t alone in this, but it’s never owned a sports team before, and as such, it would be a monumental job to take control of one of the biggest soccer teams in the world.
As music streaming platform Spotify is now finding, as a jersey and stadium sponsor of Spanish team FC Barcelona, the commercial opportunities United would bring is said to be a major factor in their interest.
Similarly, Spanish fashion billionaire Amancio Ortega has never been involved in owning or running a professional sports team, but has reportedly informed United executives of his interest.
The 86-year-old, who is the founder of fashion giant Zara, is reported to be worth $61.3 billion, according to Forbes’ billionaires rich list.
The Manchester Evening News has detailed that Ortega “has already spoken to Old Trafford executives” to declare his interest in buying United, but the amount he is willing to pay remains undisclosed.
Ortega owns 59 percent of the Inditex clothing empire, which he started in 1975, and last year named his daughter, María Ortega Pérez, as president of Zara.
Ortega, who has three children, Marta, Sandra and Marcos, would represent a change from the Glazer family, which has owned Manchester United since 2005.
Neither Apple nor Ortega would have emotional ties to the club, something that would not apply if Sir Jim Ratcliffe, UK billionaire and lifelong Manchester United fan, took over Old Trafford.
Apple CEO Tim Cook (left) and Spanish fashion billionaire Amancio Ortega (right) ‘are the latest high-profile suitors interested in buying Manchester United’
Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer has spoken publicly for the first time since the club was put up for sale, as the American owners seek new investment or a buyout.
As recently as October, Ratcliffe, owner of the French soccer team Nice, admitted: “If [United] If it had been for sale in the summer then, yeah, we probably would have had a chance after Chelsea.
Ratcliffe has gone in and out of publicly declaring his interest in owning a Premier League team, given the rarity of its sales and the chance to be in the top table of European football.
However, in November, a Ratcliffe spokesperson said: “We are now focusing our efforts on Nice and raising our ambitions for the club to become a top-tier club in France to compete with PSG.”
“This would represent much better value for our investment than buying one of the top tier Premier League clubs.”
However, those comments were related to the sale of Liverpool. Now United are officially up for grabs, and given his connection to the club, Ratcliffe may well be ready to toss his hat into the ring once more.
Ratcliffe has an estimated net worth of around £10.9bn and has that prior sporting experience that Apple CEO Tim Cook and fashion billionaire Ortega evidently lack.
His Team Ineos completed the acquisition of Ligue 1 club OGC Nice in 2019 for €100 million (£85 million). That came two years after the purchase of Swiss team FC Lausanne-Sport.
Ratcliffe would maintain an immediate affinity with the supporters and previously revealed that his favorite moment as a United fan was being there when they made their late comeback to win the Champions League in 1999 against German giants Bayern Munich.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of the French team Nice and one of the richest men in the UK, is a United fan.
David Beckham ‘has said he is open to discussions’ with any potential buyer from Man United
Manchester United for sale: All you need to know when the search for Glazers buyers begins
The businessman was born in 1952 and grew up in a council house on Dunkerley Avenue in Failsworth, a small town between Manchester and Oldham.
The least likely property offer that has a clear family link to fans is that of former Man United winger David Beckham.
Beckham, according to the Times, is open to talks with potential United bidders before joining forces as part of a consortium bid.
The former England star, who currently owns Major League Soccer team Inter Miami, does not have the means to buy United itself, but would be an attractive ally for potential buyers.
Beckham’s history with United and relationship with the Old Trafford faithful could tip the vote in favor of those he chooses to associate with. The Times adds that “various investors” have approached Beckham in the past, but talks never progressed.
The former England captain is said to be more open than ever to discussing a deal, as United confirmed their American owners were willing to sell the club on Tuesday.
Joining Beckham in the unlikely camp are current Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who described his tweets about the conspiracy to acquire United as an “ongoing joke” and mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor.
Musk jokingly wrote on Twitter this summer that he would buy the club, and the 51-year-old’s post garnered more than 800,000 likes.
UFC superstar McGregor has previously expressed interest in taking over the club, but again it would be a long shot to be seen as a legitimate candidate.
Elon Musk (left) and Conor McGregor (right) have already shown interest in buying the club.
That would be music to the ears of United fans who have long protested against Glazers.
One of the main priorities for United’s new owner will be to improve its famous stadium, Old Trafford.
The 34-year-old took to Twitter following the European Super League announcement in April last year, writing: ‘Hi guys I’m thinking of buying Manchester United! What do you think?’
One major issue facing a United buyer is Old Trafford, the club’s iconic stadium. The venue has long been in need of a makeover to compete with the biggest clubs in the world.
The stadium is understood to cost approximately £1.5bn to rebuild, making it the most expensive football ground in the world, ahead of Tottenham’s new £1bn stadium.
United moved to the ground, dubbed ‘The Theater of Dreams’ by fans around the world, in 1910 and have called it home ever since. The stadium was last renovated between 2005 and 2006, adding 8,000 seats.
Discontent over Glazer ownership has also seeped into the dressing room, with Cristiano Ronaldo, who had his United contract terminated on Tuesday, expressing his displeasure with the American management of the club in his explosive interview. with Piers Morgan.
United’s US owners are willing to “explore strategic alternatives to enhance the club’s growth.”
Ronaldo was scathing about Manchester United’s ownership of Glazers in his interview
Ronaldo said Joel and Avram Glazer “don’t care” about United.
“The owners of the club, the Glazers, don’t care about the club,” he said.
“I mean, professional sport, as you know, Manchester (United) is a marketing club. They will get their money from marketing – the sport, they don’t really care, IMO.
Ronaldo said he “never” talks to the owners and revealed his fears that the club will lag behind rivals Manchester City and Liverpool for years to come.
“You have some things within the club that don’t help Manchester (United) reach the highest level like City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal for example… which is complicated, it’s difficult.”
Source: news.google.com