Glazers ‘to seek investment in Manchester United with an outright sale a possibility’

Reports have emerged suggesting the Glazers are looking to make new investment in Manchester United, potentially opening the door to an outright sale and the end of their highly controversial 17-year reign at the club.

The American family took over the club in 2005 and their reign has been marred by fan protests and general dissatisfaction with the way they have run the club.

In recent years, it has been particularly criticized for their lack of investment in the team, stadium and training ground, while taking annual dividends from the club.

Regular chants demanding the removal of the Glazers can be heard at Old Trafford and disgruntled supporters could have their way with Sky News reporting that their search for further investment could lead to an outright sale.

According to reports, the family is soon to announce their plans to seek outside investment, which could then lead to a bidding war and the sale of the club.

It also remains a real possibility that the club will not be sold and a partial investment will be sought to fund the redevelopment of Old Trafford and Carrington, the latter of which is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has seen his contract with the club expire following a controversial interview given to Piers Morgan, cited as indicative of the club’s recent decline.

It is that alleged decline, with the club not winning the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, that has led many supporters to demand the sale of the club by the Americans.

It has been suggested in recent months that like Liverpool, another major football institution that could potentially change hands in the not-too-distant future, the Glazers could sell following the collapse of the Super League’s planned breakaway, which was largely foiled. due to fan protests in April last year.

In the aftermath, Joel Glazer made promises to supporters to involve them more in club decisions, promising a revamp of Old Trafford, which some key figures associated with the club have labeled as ‘crumbling’. .

The club’s match against Liverpool had to be postponed as a result of the protests, with a number of supporters pouring into the stadium and pitch in the biggest act of defiance to date.

The Glazers bought the club in 2005 for £790 million, largely financed by debt, another bone of contention for many linked to Manchester United. They would expect a significant profit on that, with Forbes valuing the club as the third most valuable in the world, behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona at £3.9bn.

If the Glazers were forced to sell the club, it would become the second major England team to be sold in a matter of months, after Roman Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea to Todd Boehly earlier this year as a result of sanctions imposed to the Russian. in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

More to come.