"There is a feeling..." - Journalist drops key update on Man Utd sale as Glazer family 'split' revealed

Manchester United owners, the Glazer family, are “split” on whether to sell the club, according to a fresh report.

In November the Glazers shocked the football and financial world by announcing they were exploring “strategic alternatives” for the club, that could result in a full sale.

Yet with a reported mid-February deadline looming for prospective buyers, British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who owns the petrochemical giant Ineos, is the owner party to have publicly announced he has joined the bidding process.

In recent days it has also been widely reported that private investors linked to the Qatari royal family are also considering making a bid for the Old Trafford club.

A number of reports have claimed United’s American owners are looking for a sale price of £6billion, which would be a world record fee for a sports team of any kind

However, the New York Stock Exchange valued the club at £3.2billion.

Glazer Family 'Split'

According to a fresh Times report co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer are more open to the idea of the family maintaining control of United and accepting a minority investment into the club, should they receive offers below £5billion.

Joel Glazer is said to be involved in the day-to-day operations at Old Trafford and allegedly enjoys being associated with the Premier League giants. Meanwhile, there is a feeling the club’s value could rise over the next few years should Erik ten Hag maintain his impressive start as United manager.

The club are in a top-four position in the Premier League and have qualified for the Carabao Cup final. Should they win the competition it would be the Old Trafford club’s first trophy of any kind since 2017.

Meanwhile, Kevin, Bryan, Darcie and Edward Glazer, who own an equal stake in the club, are reportedly more in favour of a complete sale, partly due to financial gain, but also because they have been affected by fan protests against the family’s ownership.

The United supporters have protested against the Glazers since they completed a £790million takeover in 2005 by investing just £270million of their own money into the deal. The rest of the money was borrowed against United, in turn plunging the club into more than £500million worth of debt.

Topics: Manchester United, Football, Premier League

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.