EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United are pulled off the market by the Glazer family after bidders fail to meet their asking price, sending a huge blow to irate fans…as they wait for £10bn for the club
- The Glazers are willing to ask for £10bn to part ways with Manchester United
- The owners have received offers over a lengthy negotiation period
- Only Sheikh Jassim of Qatar and Sir Jim Ratcliffe emerged as serious bidders
The Glazers are going to take Manchester United off the market after failing to get close to the expected asking price, according to a source with long-standing close ties to the American family.
The move is sure to spark anger among United fans, who have never felt much warmth towards the club’s owners, blaming them for a lack of recent success and investment in infrastructure.
“The Glazers are thick-skinned and won’t be affected by negative fan backlash,” the source said, adding that the family’s original plan was to attract multiple serious bidders, and it didn’t work out.
The family announced last November that they were open to offers for 100 per cent of the club, or for a partial sale leaving them with a significant stake. Only two serious bidders came forward: Sheikh Jassim of Qatar, who wants the whole club, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose bid would give the Glazers a minority stake.
Sources close to these parties are frustrated with the Glazers’ stance, which saw them go through multiple rounds of bidding and get no indication of where they stand.
The Glazers will take Manchester United off the market after failing to receive an offer that matches their valuation
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is one of only two bidders to emerge as a serious contender for the club
Fans have regularly protested their unpopular owners and this move is sure to spark anger
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At one point, Sheikh Jassim’s camp bypassed US investment banker Raine, who was in charge of the sale process, to deal directly with the Glazers. And even amid recent rumors suggesting that Qatar’s bid was about to be accepted, the situation has not changed.
The logic for taking United off the market now, the source says, is that the Glazer family will try to sell the club again in 2025, when they hope financial and ‘environmental’ factors can attract more bidders.
The Glazers are hoping for a higher price thanks to an increase in TV rights revenue, the expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup to 32 teams from 2025, which could be very lucrative, and the upcoming 2026 World Cup. the US will take place will increase US billionaires’ interest in football investment. The Glazers believe this could help them sell United for between £7bn and £10bn.
A sit-in protest was held at Old Trafford by United fans last week, urging the family to sell again, but the Glazers have long ignored supporters.
The owners have backed manager Erik ten Hag and hope he can deliver great silverware to the club over the next two seasons, which would help boost the sale price.
Sheikh Jassim was the other serious bidder to come forward, though his camp at one point bypassed US investment bankers Raine, who was in charge of the sale process.
A sit-in protest was held at Old Trafford last week by United fans, urging the family to sell