Manchester United, one of the Premier League’s behemoths, has been on the market for sale since last November. Throughout this period, it has been apparent that Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the primary contenders to potentially replace the Glazer family as owners.
Sheikh Jassim has expressed interest in a complete takeover, while Ratcliffe is open to retaining the Glazer family’s involvement with a reduced stake of around 20%.
In November of the previous year, the Glazer family declared their intention to “evaluate all options.” However, it remains uncertain whether they will endorse a full takeover.
Recent weeks have seen conflicting reports regarding the takeover process. Initially, it was reported that the Glazer family was planning to withdraw Manchester United from the market. Subsequently, suggestions arose that discussions were ongoing between club executives and the interested parties.
While the Glazer family had initially indicated a desire for £6 billion to sell the club, finance expert Kieran Maguire has now disclosed that they perceive Manchester United’s current value to be “potentially around £10 billion.”
Maguire also believes that the Glazer family is content to wait until their asking price is met. He expressed curiosity about whether there would be an official announcement from those overseeing the takeover process.
Maguire shared his insights, saying, “I don’t believe the Glazers were attempting to avoid selling the club.”
“When Chelsea was sold for £2.5 billion in May 2022, it essentially reshaped the valuation of all football clubs,” Maguire explained.
He continued, “However, the Glazers have observed the substantial valuations assigned to different aspects of Barcelona, where the club has utilized what they term as economic levers, which appear to resemble payday loans.”
“In their view, the Glazers have aggregated these values, and they now perceive the club to be potentially worth around £10 billion,” Maguire stated.
“If the market does not concur with that assessment, the Glazers are content to bide their time.”
“They have extracted substantial sums from the club in the form of dividends and share sales, so they are certainly not in dire need of funds.”
“They remain convinced that football is undervalued by the markets, and they believe they can unlock further value.”
Maguire concluded, “It will be interesting to see if there is an official announcement from the Raine Group or from the club itself regarding a potential sale.”
