Man Utd: Glazers to deliver bad news as Ratcliffe comes under fire

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 27 Feb 2023 11:53 GMT
• 3 min read

Erik ten Hag has admitted that Avram Glazer appears to be committed to the club amid talks of a possible takeover from INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe or a group of Qatari investors.

Bids have been launched to purchase the club. But the co-owner, who was seen joining the celebrations following Sunday's 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Newcastle, appeared to be very relaxed over the sale following speculation that the owners are now reluctant to sell up.

The Glazers, who bought the Premier League giants back in 2005, released a statement in November saying they were open to a sale.

There was something of a party after the club picked up its first trophy in six years, with Sir Alex Ferguson seen among the celebrations at Wembley. Avram was seen amongst the fanfare as well.

And speaking after the match, Ten Hag touched on his presence, saying that the businessman now seemed committed to staying on.

Ten Hag told reporters: "He [Avram Glazer] was really happy for the club, as our owner. He wanted to be part of it. He was in the dressing room, good he was here, showed his intentions.

"I don't know, I'm not involved in that process, but the way he is here you feel he is committed. But the process, what he wants, that is not for me. I lead this team, others are involved in decisions about ownership."

Indeed, there have been lodged bids for the club but so far no one has been close to meeting the Glazers' £5billion asking price.

It’s a fee that, if met, would represent the largest-ever sale of a sports club,

Glazers are ‘emotionally invested’

It comes after The Athletic reported that Avram still feels ‘emotionally invested’.

There are fears that the new direction that the club are facing may be enough to dissuade the family from making a sale. Ratcliffe, born near to Manchester, has been one of the parties to state they have made a bid publicly.

And a Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is also one of the groups in the frame for a takeover.