Man Utd takeover DELAYED with Glazers holding out for bigger sale

Stuart Telford

• 1 Mar 2023 13:21 CST
• 3 min read

Manchester United looked to be on the cusp of a full sale this time last week, but the Glazer family have upped their asking price in light of bids from Qatar and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The Glazers have been in control at Old Trafford, initially under family patriarch Malcolm, since his debt-leveraged £800 million takeover in 2005, of which £500m was borrowed.

The American family's ownership has been controversial among Red Devils fans, and the club are without a trophy since Jose Mourinho's Europa League win in 2017, and a Premier League win since Sir Alex Ferguson's last in 2013.

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

The Glazers are understood to want around seven times what their father initially paid for the club, which is some way beyond the £4.5m bid received over the last two weeks.

Glazers intent on securing more than £4.5bn

"The Glazers are intent on securing a higher fee for Manchester United than the initial bids of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which were lodged at a maximum of £4.5bn," report the Guardian.

"It leaves the American family's wish to close any deal by the end of March looking unlikely."

READ: Fears Glazers WON'T sell as Man Utd sale price overvalued

The report goes on to claim that there is some indecision among the Glazer siblings, with not all of the six brothers and sisters in agreement as to whether they should be selling the club at all, let alone for how much.

Two concrete bids

Although interest in Man Utd ownership from David Beckham, Elon Musk, Apple and Amazon has been touted, there are two firm bids as it stands.

"Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani today confirmed his submission of a bid for 100% of Manchester United," read a statement from Qatar on 17 February. The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and - above all - will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United once more."

"We can confirm that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have submitted a bid for majority ownership of Manchester United," confirmed INEOS the next day.

Whether either ups their offer remains to be seen.