Man Utd owners name price for Saudi takeover as Glazer stance comes to light | Football | Sport

The Glazer family are reportedly open to offers exceeding £5billion for their stake in Manchester United, a figure that more than doubles the club’s current stock market value. Rumours are swirling that Saudi billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh is preparing a takeover bid for the Red Devils, but he would need to start the bidding at approximately £5.2bn to have a realistic shot at convincing the Glazers to part with their shares.

The American tycoons took over the reins of United two decades ago in a deal worth £790million. Despite the club’s current valuation standing at £2bn, the Glazers would demand a hefty premium reflecting potential future increases in United’s value. This calculation would factor in the potential worth of United should the club proceed with plans to construct a new state-of-the-art stadium.

One possibility for the Glazers is to sell a portion of their stake in United in exchange for substantial investment to help finance the construction of a new stadium, according to The Mirror.

United chiefs unveiled plans in March to build a 100,000-seater arena with an estimated cost of around £2bn. The proposed stadium would not only be one of the world’s finest but would also revitalise the surrounding area.

However, it’s understood that United are far from securing the necessary funding for this ambitious project.

The Glazers previously turned down a takeover offer from Sheikh Jassim Al-Thani’s consortium in 2024, opting instead to sell 27.7 per cent of the club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe shelled out £1.25bn and was given control of football operations at Old Trafford. United declared record revenues nearing £670m in June, but have been compelled to make significant staff redundancies and are still in dire need of a cash boost.

United have declined to comment on a potential deal with the Saudis, while Ratcliffe maintains his full commitment to the club.

The Glazers continue to be involved with the club on a daily basis. However, there is nothing preventing them from negotiating a sale of their stake in the club, unbeknownst to other shareholders.

Turki, who has a strong presence in boxing, snooker, golf and UFC, took to social media to assert that United were in an ‘advanced stage’ of finalising a deal to sell to a new investor.

He wrote: “The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor … I hope he’s better than the previous owners.”