The sale of Manchester United Football Club could mark a milestone for football, if the Glazer family goes through with it.
A statement issued last week confirmed that the Tampa Bay family was prepared to sell the club and had instructed banks to handle any potential transactions.
Having suffered under Glazer’s ownership for 17 years, the statement was welcomed by fans.
And Bloomberg reports that United won’t be short of interested parties, even allowing for what will likely turn out to be an unprecedented asking price.
When Chelsea was put up for sale at the start of the year, there were over 250 interested parties, with Todd Boehly’s consortium eventually committing £4.25bn towards the acquisition.
With £1.75bn of that investment in the club, the sale of Chelsea’s shares comes to £2.5bn, a record figure that is likely to be surpassed by the sale of United.
“This deal has to have a historical value,” said Adam Sommerfield, a sports investment expert. “Clearly this is the main light of football, probably of the sport in general.
“Everyone who is anybody is going to look at this very seriously.”
United’s global reach and revenue streams over the past decades remain unrivaled in English football, and their lack of success on the pitch since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement is not expected to diminish the club’s valuation.
With the club a hugely attractive proposition for a number of buyers, including Saudi Arabian capitalists and American private equity firms, fans can expect intense speculation surrounding the situation before United’s eventual owner steps in. evident.
It appears to be an ideal position the Glazers currently occupy to make a monumental profit on their family’s 2005 takeover of the club.
“They really don’t need to sell,” Sommerfeld said. “In terms of adding brand value, I come in at around £4.7bn, but I think the Glazers would want to top that.”
