The Glazer family are reportedly willing to offer more than £5bn for their stake in Manchester United, which would be more than double the club’s current stock market value. Rumors have been circulating that Saudi billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh is preparing a takeover bid for the Red Devils, but he would need to launch a bid of around £5.2bn to have any realistic means of convincing the Glazers to part with their stake.
The American tycoon took over the reins of United 20 years ago in a deal worth £790m. Despite the club’s current valuation of £2bn, the Glazers will command a high premium to reflect United’s potential future value rise. This calculation takes into account the potential value of United’s plans to build a state-of-the-art stadium.
According to the Mirror, one possibility for the Glazer family is to sell some of their United shares in exchange for a significant investment to help fund the construction of a new stadium.
United leaders announced plans in March to build a 100,000-seat arena at an estimated cost of around £2bn. The proposed stadium would not only be one of the world’s finest, but would also revitalize the surrounding area.
However, it is understood that United Airlines is far from securing the necessary funding for this ambitious project.
The Glazers previously rejected a takeover offer from Sheikh Jassim Al-Thani’s consortium in 2024, opting instead to sell a 27.7 per cent stake in the club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe was given control of the football operations at Old Trafford in a £1.25bn deal. United announced record revenues of nearly £670m in June, but have been forced to make significant job cuts and are still in dire need of a cash boost.
United have declined to comment on a potential deal with Saudi Arabia, but Ratcliffe remains fully committed to the club.
The Glazers remain involved with the club on a daily basis. However, there is nothing to prevent them from negotiating the sale of their shares in the club without the knowledge of other shareholders.
Turki, who has a strong presence in boxing, snooker, golf and the UFC, claimed on social media that United were at an “advanced stage” of finalizing a sale deal to a new investor.
He wrote: “The best news I heard today is that Manchester United are now in the advanced stages of completing a sale deal to a new investor…I hope he is better than the previous owner.”
