the Manchester United club could be sold for 5.8 billion euros

The American owners of English club Manchester United announced on Tuesday evening that they were open to a sale of the club, which is struggling to regain its former glory. An announcement that would have no connection with the setbacks of the Ronaldo affair. The latter will also leave the club after the various controversies.

“The board will consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment in the club, sale or other transactions involving the company,” the Red Devils said in a statement.

Phenomenal added value

If the Glazer family, who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football team, decided to sell one of the most famous football clubs on the planet, they would realize a phenomenal capital gain after buying it for 790 million pounds in 2005, largely through debt.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, a self-proclaimed Manchester United fan, is cited as a potential candidate to buy a club which has lost its brilliance on the pitch in recent seasons and is overtaken by Liverpool and Manchester City in terms of titles won and also infrastructure, including the stadium.

Ratcliffe, owner of the chemical group Ineos which controls French club Nice, has already declared his interest in Manchester United, after failing to get his hands on Chelsea sold in May to an American consortium for 4.25 billion pounds, a record.

“Expensive industry”

“We can also imagine that billionaires in Southeast Asia, from Malaysia to Indonesia, where United have a lot of supporters, would be interested. Or a consortium of American investors”, judge Simon Chadwick, professor of economics and geopolitics of sport at SKEMA Business School.

According to him, the Glazer family may have decided to sell, as they believe the club’s value has peaked after the failure of the stillborn Super League project launched in spring 2021 by twelve big names in European football, including Manchester. United, to compete in the Champions League with a closed, more profitable tournament.

“The talks about the Super League will continue, until it works out or not, but times are tough anyway and football is an expensive business,” continued Mr Chadwick.

Need for “massive investments”

Another argument in favor of a sale, Old Trafford, the emblematic stadium of Manchester United, needs “massive investments”, recalls Simon Chadwick. “We have seen that Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have taken measures to modernize their stadiums and in England, we have the example of Tottenham which (thanks to its stadium) has increased its income by organizing football championship matches American NFL”.

Even if his last title of champion of England dates back to 2013, even if his star player Cristiano Ronaldo was asked Tuesday in the middle of the World Cup to seek a new employer after his virulent criticism of his coach Erik ten Hag and Glazer, Manchester United still dream.

The club, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is estimated to be worth $2.5 billion on the stock market, but should be able to generate a much larger sale.

Source: Europe1

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