Manchester United sale could stall after The Glazers decision - Reports
Manchester United's prospective sale could come to a halt after the club's current owners, the Glazers, decided to stand firm on their £6 billion asking price, according to The Daily Mail.
The Glazers 'will not budge from their £6billion asking price for Manchester United' as the unpopular American owners remain keen to only sell the Red Devils 'for top dollar'
via dailym.ai/ios mol.im/a/11767827
The Glazers had set a deadline of 10 pm on Friday for bids to be lodged, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani submitting offers. However, neither bid is thought to be enough to persuade the Glazers to sell, as they reportedly own around two thirds of the club and are keen to hold out for their desired price.
Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani's bid to buy Manchester United in its entirety is believed to be over the £4 billion mark, while Ratcliffe's bid is said to be short of that.
However, Ratcliffe has offered to make 25% of the club available for fans to buy, which could help him match Al Thani's bid from Qatar. Despite this, reports suggest that the Glazers will not budge from their £6 billion asking price, leaving the prospective buyers in a difficult position.
Qatar: “We will make Manchester United the best in the world again. We will invest in the stadium, community and facilities. No debt and we won’t take anything out of the club.”
Jim Ratcliffe: “I’ll put the Manchester back in Manchester United!!”
Tough choice.
#MUFC #Qatar 🇶🇦 https://t.co/5xA08JRITM
Although Al Thani is currently the frontrunner to take over Manchester United, Ratcliffe is the fan favorite, according to the Daily Mail. More than two-thirds of respondents favored his bid over the Qatari banker's in a poll.
Sheikh Jassim claims to be a private individual unconnected to the Qatari government, even though he is the chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bank, and its major shareholder is the country's sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).
The prospect of the Glazers rejecting both bids and continuing in their role is likely to be unpopular among Manchester United fans. It would also mean that the club would not follow the trend of other Premier League teams being taken over by energy-rich states in the Middle East, with Abu Dhabi owning Manchester City and Saudi Arabia controlling Newcastle.
#MUFC
Both bids to buy Manchester United are valid for full control of the club — Qatari Sheikh Al Thani mentioned 100% in the statement, ‘majority stake’ mentioned by INEOS means they want full control of Glazers shares. 🚨🔴 #MUFC
Glazers always asked for £6-7b to sell the club. https://t.co/Somxq9gw3C
However, it remains to be seen if the Glazer family will come up with another deadline to match their demands or if the respective interested parties will back out, as they do not value the club as much in a monetary sense.
Manchester United signs highly rated youngster Gabriele Biancheri from Cardiff City
Manchester United have signed the highly rated 16-year-old Gabriele Biancheri from Cardiff City, as per Fabrizio Romano. The Red Devils poached the Welshman in a race with many top European clubs running to sign him.
Talented 2006-born striker Gabriele Biancheri has confirmed he's leaving Cardiff City - deal completed to join Manchester United academy 🔴🏴🤝🏻 #MUFC @academyarenautd
Medical tests already done, four year contract in place as Man Utd win competition over 2-3 English clubs. https://t.co/OtbXWtmjXN
The young striker has already completed his medical and signed a four-year contract with the Red Devils. Biancheri has confirmed that he will be leaving Cardiff City and expressed his excitement about joining the Manchester United academy.
The move is a great opportunity for Biancheri to continue his development and could see him feature for the first team in the future. The deal shows that Manchester United are committed to nurturing young talent and building for the future.