Avram Glazer was tracked down by Athletic journalists outside the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar after France’s 2-0 win over Morocco in the World Cup semi-finals and was questioned about the current status of a possible sale of Manchester United Football Club.
Asked for an update on the sale, the co-owner responded: “It’s not necessarily a sale, it’s a process and we’ll move forward with the process so we’ll see what happens.”
The refusal to commit to a full sale will no doubt dampen the hopes of United fans without Glazer, but it’s worth remembering that no company would announce the possibility of a sale unless it was very much on the table.
And while it leaves the door open for potential investors to step in for a partial stake in the club, previous attempts by the Glazers to broker such a deal have failed.
The Tampa Bay owner refused to accept an answer on how many parties had made their interests known, instead saying only: “I’m here to watch the World Cup, but I appreciate your interest.”
The Athletic notes that Glazer was most likely with or was a guest from the state of Qatar or a guest from a business partner of theirs or FIFA.
The Glazer family has ties to the Near East, having bought a cricket franchise in the United Arab Emirates T20 cricket league.
The aforementioned discussions about a partial stake in Manchester United were also with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
Perhaps in need or a thesaurus, Glazer had only this to add when pressed to update the ‘strategic alternatives’ the club was looking for:
“That is the update, it is the process and the process continues.
“Once again, I am here to enjoy the World Cup, but I appreciate your questions.”
There doesn’t seem to be much clarity on the current status of the potential sale of United, and while that could simply be due to the shroud of secrecy that often shrouds deals of this magnitude, perhaps it also speaks to the fragmented nature of the Glazer family. .
Avram and Joel are the most involved in the day-to-day running of the club, but have been known to rarely see eye-to-eye with directors Kevin, Bryan, Edward and Darcie, and even explored buying their brother over the summer.
It could well be the case that the reason for so much ambiguity, both in the official statement and in Avram Glazer’s comments, is because the six brothers disagree on the desired outcome for Manchester United.
Several Glazers may want to cash out as quickly as possible, while others may want to wait for the possibility of a higher price. Others may even insist on maintaining some level of control in the club.
Regardless, this is the closest United fans have come to seeing the Glazers’ back, having watched their club deteriorate over the last seventeen years.
