Man Utd takeover: ‘Nightmare scenario’ becomes reality as ‘four groups’ offer minority investment

According to reports, the Glazer family feel they can “develop” Man Utd to the point to which the Premier League club will be valued at around £10bn.

The Red Devils were put up for sale by the Glazer family towards the end of last year. At the time, the club’s current owners insisted that they would be “evaluating all options” while seeking new investment.

There have since been two rounds of bidding, with Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe keen to become the club’s new majority shareholders.

But supporters have been fearful that the Glazer family will instead look to sell a minority stake so they can remain in control. These added finances will subsequently be used to modernize Old Trafford and the club’s Carrington training ground.

Speaking earlier this year, Gary Neville claimed that this would be the “nightmare scenario”.

“One of the rumours we heard about before Christmas was that they were going to stay, and try and find ‘strategic investment’, which is something FSG [Fenway Sports Group] have mentioned at Liverpool,” Neville said.

“That means you buy part of the family out, you leave Joel and Avi Glazer in, but Joel and Avi will retain control of the club. That’s a nightmare scenario.”

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Glazer family intend to remain at the club as

ESPN’s Mark Ogden has now claimed that Joel and Avram Glazer are “looking to stay at the club” and only “sell a minority stake”.

“Do the Glazers really want to sell Manchester United?” Ogden told ESPN.

“That’s been the question since they put the club on a strategic investment pursuit back in November and it was obviously thought at the time that they were desperate to sell because of the animosity towards them.

“Basically since 2005 they’ve been despised by Man United fans for putting the club in lots of debt, making the team uncompetitive on the pitch and Old Trafford as we know, is a stadium that’s almost going in decline.

“But I’ve been told right now that the Glazers, certainly Joel and Avram, the co-chairmen, are looking to stay at the club, seek that investment that will enable them to do so [and] sell a minority stake.

“And there are at least four investment groups that are looking to offer them a minority investment.

“The Glazers, I’ve been told, believe that if they can hold onto the club for another seven, eight years, and they can develop it – they develop the stadium and the team to make it maybe worth twice as much as what it is now. Potentially £10billion.”