The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) has told the Glazers it will cause “chaos and disruption” should the team not sell. The Glazer family controlled a majority stake in the Red Devils since 2005. While United has technically been up for sale since November, there has not been any real progress in a potential deal.
Ownership may pull plug on current negotiations
Mail Sport recently claimed that the Glazers were taking their club off of the market. British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari Sheikh Jassim have both been in negotiations to purchase the massive club. The duo previously submitted official bids, but the Glazers accepted neither.
It is thought that offers from both potential buyers were in the $6.2 billion range. However, the Glazers are hoping for a fee closer to the $8.7 billion mark. Now, current ownership may remain at the helm for the near future. The aforementioned news outlet claims that the Glazers could hold out until 2025 and ask for an even higher price tag for the team.
United Supporters Trust warns Glazers to sell immediately
After news of the possible delay hit the public, MUST issued a warning to the Glazer family. The group urged the ownership to sell as soon as possible. “If [the Glazers] are intending to remain as owners they must be made aware of the negative reaction that news is going to create and the continued chaos and disruption that their ownership will continue to elicit,” proclaimed MUST in a statement.
“Aside from that, there are a whole series of big questions they would need to answer: What is their plan to invest in United? Just what has the last nine months achieved?”
“What costs have been incurred in this process? Are those costs being met by the Glazer family, or by the club itself? All in all, it’s been a process typical of their ownership of the club. Slow, opaque, and increasingly looking like having a ‘worst case scenario’ outcome.”
United fans have protested the Glazers many times in recent years. The latest challenge came after the club’s controversial 3-2 victory against Nottingham Forest in August. Select supporters staged a sit-in at Old Trafford following the match. There will likely continue to be more protests surrounding club ownership in the near future.
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