Manchester United Owners Reportedly Want Partial Sale Only

Two groups interested in Manchester United are reportedly skeptical that the team’s current owners, the Glazer family, are open to selling the entirety of the club.

The Glazers, who purchased the team in 2005 for a reported $942 million, hired the Raine Group to oversee a full or partial sale and had set a soft deadline of Feb. 17 for parties to register their interest.

But ESPN is now reporting that the family wants to secure a partner investor rather than sell in full — despite reports last month suggesting groups who had registered interest so far were more drawn toward buying the team outright.

Club co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer have accepted they can’t hold on to the team without outside investment, according to ESPN.

• As of November, the club’s debt was at around $620.8 million.
• Four of the Glazer siblings have recently narrowed their shares.

The team was last valued by Forbes at $4.6 billion, but if the Glazers are open to a full takeover, bidders could be looking at a price tag closer to $7.2 billion.

Partial Partners?

Currently, the only public bid is from billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS. Ratcliffe, a longtime Manchester United fan, has tapped Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan to help with his bid. 

Earlier this week, it was reported that a group of Qatari investors — separate from Qatar Sports Investments — would make a full takeover bid.