 GREEN & GOLD

Viridi et Aurum I have absolutely no doubt that all of you readers would have heard the news by the time you read this that our beloved club could potentially have new owners in the coming months (I am being optimistic on this one!).

It is probably safe to assume that this is indeed welcome news for the Manchester United fans across the world, the vast majority of whom would be pleased to see the end of the Glazers era. During their 17-year ownership, there have been regular fan protests over the years, also because the results of the pitch got worse, and it is now 10 years since United won the English Premier League.

Granted that no club has a divine right to win, and we had been spoilt over two decades, but the lack of trophies is only part of the problem that the Glazers have dug us into.

I believe that us supporters got increasingly frustrated as we saw the wiping out of the ethos of Manchester United, and this was accompanied by lack of investment needed to keep the pace with the top clubs in the world in terms of management and infrastructure. To cap it all, last season ended with United accumulating the fewest points in our Premier League-era history ending the season in sixth place. most valuable football club in the world, and although the Glazers’ initial statement is no guarantee the club will be sold (or that the family will accept any outside investment), it is an invitation to interested buyers. Something that we had not witnessed since the Glazers took over.

Despite the recent years of underperformance, Manchester United is still considered a top asset in the footballing world and there will presumably be plenty of interested buyers despite the club being not exactly cheap!

In the days following the announcement on Sky News, which first reported the news, speculation was rife with potential buyers being mentioned on social media and news portals on a regular basis. The big question, of course, is who can afford to buy Manchester United.

Here are a few of the options being bandied about on news portals:

U.S. investors It seems that United have appointed The Raine Group, which advised on the sale of Chelsea earlier this year, as exclusive financial adviser for the process. The choice of the New Yorkheadquartered group could be a suggestion that United still see America as a key market for potential buyers. Personally, after the experience with the Glazers, this option sends shivers down my spine!

by Robert Mizzi

Wealthy individuals Sir Jim Ratcliffe, worth $13 billion, has made no secret of his love for United. He is a lifelong fan, and in October he told the Financial Times he had met the Glazer family and was quoted as saying “I have met Joel and Avram. They are the nicest people, I have to say, proper gentlemen. They don’t want to sell it (the club).” Make of that quote what you want!

Ratcliffe, and other rich individuals, may be reluctant to make such a purchase on their own. Even for a billionaire, a price tag of $5 billion (or higher) is steep. Logic suggests that Ratcliffe is unlikely to be the only billionaire interested in taking control of United and perhaps some sort of consortium could be seem as a more feasible solution at this stage.

Sovereign wealth fund European clubs owned by funds linked to sovereign nations include Manchester City (Abu Dhabi United Group), Newcastle United (PIF, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund) and Paris Saint-Germain (Qatar Sports Investments).

Although it may seem unlikely those nations would want to buy another club (although you never really know do you, especially when there seems to be a bottomless pit!), neighboring Gulf nations may be interested. There were previously rumors the sovereign wealth fund of Dubai would consider United. Other oil-rich

states, like Bahrain or Kuwait, might also be tempted to get into European football!

There is little doubt that the tens, or hundreds, of billions in sovereign funds makes nation states a potential buyer for a club the size of United. The other side of the coin with this option could be that it could leave fans (and I am one of them) in an uncomfortable moral position.

Fans The romantic option, which I would absolutely prefer, but realistically the least likely to happen. A fan takeover of a club the size of United is virtually impossible (or is it?). As football has grown in popularity, the valuations of clubs has rocketed making this a utopian dream.

Perhaps the best we as fans can hope for is a new owner who properly engages with us supporters, listens, and provides some genuine fan representation on the club’s board. Even better, an owner who does all that and brings some on‑field success back to Old Trafford.

So, are the options above the only possible solution? Maybe, or maybe not.

According to the Financial Times, David Beckham is “open to holding talks with potential bidders for Manchester United”, aware that his backing “could lend credibility”. Granted that Beckham’s personal wealth is nothing like what you’d need to be meaningfully financially involved in a bid, with current estimates of United’s worth ricocheting cheerily between just under £5bn to upwards of £7bn, few would argue against the idea that Beckham’s sense that he would make a worthy figurehead or heritage fan appeaser for someone else’s bid is intriguing.

Other potential bidders? Apart from the already mentioned Ineos tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is a lifelong United fan and already involved in sports ownership, the Daily Star seems to think Apple is interested, while the Times mentions Amazon and Meta.

As for the U.S. investors, there are the obligatory pair of Americans, in the form of Stephen Pagliuca and Larry Tanenbaum, who may still be keen on investing in the EPL after the disappointment of failing to buy Chelsea.

Closer to home, there’s Jim O’Neill, a lifelong United fan who was part of a group of fans named ‘The Red Knights’, who had tried to take over the club in 2010.

Also in the news was the Zara magnate Amancio Ortega. Since stepping down from active operations at Inditex, Ortega has focused on real estate, creating the largest portfolio of any European billionaire. This includes an office block in London’s Mayfair, Madrid’s tallest building - the Torre Picasso - and multiples buildings across Spain and the USA.

Arguably the one to watch is Dubai International Capital. Back in September, UK newspapers had identified Dubai’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (mentioned above) as a potential bidder for Man Utd if the club became available.

As can be seen, there is no shortage of interest from potential buyers. Media speculation could of course be making up stories - no surprise there. As a lifelong United supporter, I have seen my beloved club falling behind other clubs and this is not a coincidence. The Glazers’ lack of investment (or bad investments especially in team matters) have led us where we are today. I am certainly looking forward to the day our beloved club has new owners.

The last word is for the title - Viridi et Aurum. Those who know me well know that I have been a supporter of the Green and Gold campaign from the very beginning. I was told over and over again that there is nothing we could do about it, but like many others, fueled by the damaged being inflicted on my beloved club, I persisted in believing that only when the club is sold we can start the long and winding road to recovery. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the turn of a friendly card!!