Glazer family make final Man Utd takeover decision as £10bn demand leads to ‘huge blow’ for fans

Manchester United are said to be on the verge of being “taken off the market” by the Glazer family, who are asking for the paltry £10billion to sell the club.

If true what a waste of time the whole process has been for everyone involved in the proposed Man Utd takeover.

The Glazer family announced last November that they would be “assessing all options” with the goal of either seeking major investments or getting approval for an all-out sale.

There have been three formal bidding rounds for the Premier League giants, with Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and INEOS’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe the main candidates for the club’s new controlling shareholder. The two entrepreneurs made very different proposals.

Sheikh Jassim was only interested in a full takeover, while Ratcliffe was willing to keep the Glazer family with a roughly 20% stake reduction.

In recent months there have been conflicting reports about the takeover process, including last week’s claim that a “winner” between Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe has yet to be determined.

Man Utd’s , supporters continue to protest the Glazer family and hope the takeover will be completed by early 2023, but the complicated process drags on.

But The Daily Mail are now reporting that ‘the Glazers are going to take Manchester United off the market, having failed to get close to their anticipated asking price’.\

United’s current owners are said to be ‘holding out for £10billion to part ways’ with the Premier League club. The report adds.

‘The Glazers are thick-skinned and won’t be influenced by any negative fan reactions,’ said the source, adding the family’s original plan was to attract multiple serious bidders, and that didn’t materialise.

‘Sources close to those parties have been left frustrated as to the Glazers’ stance, making multiple rounds of offers and being given no indication of where they stood.

‘The logic for taking United off the market now, says the source, is that the Glazer family will try to sell the club again in 2025, when they hope financial and ‘environmental’ factors may attract more bidders.

‘The Glazers hope for a higher price thanks to an uplift in TV rights revenues, the expansion of FIFA’s Club World Cup to 32 teams from 2025, which could be very lucrative, and the forthcoming 2026 World Cup. That event, to be hosted in the USA, will heighten the interest of American billionaires in football investments. The Glazers think this may help them sell United for between £7billion and £10bn.’

Club legend Gary Neville doubts the legitimacy of this story as the Glazer family “have to do something”.

“I don’t believe the Glazers not selling/doing anything story,” Neville wrote.

“They have to do something. They’ve run out of money and the financial situation is desperate. They need investment in. They’re also having a toxic impact on the club from the inside out.

“The negligence continues for now but I don’t think it can go on without some action on raising funds. Also who would come in as a minority alongside them with the damage it would do to their reputation.”