Man Utd takeover: The TRUTH behind the stalemate

Tom Weber

Updated: 21 Sept 2023 18:50 BST
3 min read

Sheikh Jassim, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Man Utd — © ProShots

The Glazers continue to play hardball, but Manchester United's prospective buyers are refusing to raise their offers.

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The takeover saga has been dragging on all year and there is no end in sight. Despite constant reports about the battle between Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe swinging in one person's favour and then the other's, the truth is that little has changed since the spring.

Indeed, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that "they [the bidders] were expecting to have progress in February, March, April," but now "we are still at the same point." However, despite the current stalemate, things are still happening behind the scenes.

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Because of the Glazers, it is a "complicated" process, though, according to Romano. Why? Because the American owners' valuation appears to be fluid and constantly changing. Indeed, after the recent sale of the Washington Commanders, the Glazers apparently raised their price for Man Utd, believing that the Manchester club is worth more than the NFL side, and they have no intention of accepting lower offers.

Takeover latest

The problem is that neither Jassim nor Ratcliffe are willing to significantly raise their bids, according to journalist Ben Jacobs. "Remains a gulf in valuation between all bidders and Glazers," Jacobs wrote on Twitter. "Although an acceptance form affects the price, the [sponsorship] deals with Snapdragon and Adidas are also being used as evidence of the strength of [Man Utd's] brand."

Recent reports suggested that the bidders are concerned about the club's dismal start to the season, but "those close to the Glazers feel groups are using the current run of form to drum up PR," states Jacobs. "But both Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have been clear (even after MUFC qualified for UCL) they don't plan to significantly raise offers."

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Jacobs also shed light on claims that the Glazers raised their demands. "Although some reports suggest Glazers believe the club is worth (or could become worth) £10 billion, still told the price they entered into the process looking for was between...£5.6-6.1bn. Groups understood to be just under half a billion under the lower end of that scale."