Manchester United owner Avram Glazer has been in talks with investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar about selling the club.
The United co-owner, who was in Doha for the World Cup, has held talks with interested parties amid a possible takeover of the club.
With United’s announcement that the club is for sale, interest from the world’s richest billionaires has peaked, including sovereign wealth funds.
It has been reported that a number of parties are interested in taking the reins at Old Trafford, including Amazon and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Another is billionaire Indian sports supremo Mukesh Ambani, who sees United as a gateway to popularize Indian sports to the world.
The reliable David Ornstein reports: “Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer has held talks with potential investors during his trip to Doha for the World Cup, including from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
“The nature of the talks between Glazer and the different groups he met with in Doha is unclear.”
Adds Ornstein: “The Raine Group, acting as United’s exclusive financial adviser, is targeting the full sale of the club in the first quarter of 2023 at a price of between £6bn and £7bn.”
Beyond investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Avram has also held talks with Dubai-based investment funds for the outright sale of England’s biggest and most successful soccer institution.
Ornstein’s report is the first confirmation of substantial talks with an interested party, while most of the others are tabloid chatter and speculation at best.
A few days ago, Glazer was questioned about the progress of a United sale and declined to definitively confirm what stage the process is at.
He also declined to disclose whether the family was seeking a strategic investment, a partial sale or a full sale.
The businessman only described that the talks are advancing progressively, step by step.
