Saudi Arabian prince Mohammad Bin Salman is ready to topple the Glazer family as he aspires to take over Manchester United…
Prince Salman is reported to have made an astonishing £4 billion bid to buy Manchester United. As a result, The Red Devils are finding it hard to stay out of the limelight. The Saudi prince, with an estimated worth of £850 billion, is ready to throw his weight around in an attempt to oust the Glazers. Old Trafford last shifted hands in 2005, when the Glazers acquired the club for £790 million. Since then, United have come a long way and the club is now valued at a whopping £3.2 billion according to Forbes. However, the deal going through would leave the current owners with a profit of £2.2 billion, according to The Mirror.
The Crown Prince is worth £850billion and is hoping to meet the Glazers in the coming weeks 😮🤑https://t.co/B777SXJRmG
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) October 21, 2018
How will it benefit United?
All the Arab money coming in could help José Mourinho build his dream team. It would allow the club to pursue the likes of Gareth Bale and Roberto Lewandowksi – and reinforce a shoddy back-line to address their defensive concerns. Other than competing in the transfer market against clubs like Manchester City and PSG, the deal could help United reduce their overwhelming debt. Since the Glazers acquired the club in 2005, it has borrowed £2,245,000,000 and repaid £1,798,000,000. In simple terms, owing half a billion undoubtedly filters a club’s spending. As Ed Woodward, Manchester United current CEO, states: “We are the biggest sports team in the world. That requires continued investment.”
Since the Glazers acquired Manchester United in 2005, the club has borrowed £2,245,000,000 and repaid £1,798,000,000. pic.twitter.com/2Iz5nMPuyp
— PriceOfFootball (@KieranMaguire) October 21, 2018
Manchester United have always attracted worldwide interest. The business side of club is always running as they have many joint-ventures outside Europe. South Asian fans are not oblivious to these partnerships either, as the club recently worked on a project with Zong in Pakistan. Moreover, it just agreed to a multi-year partnership with ICICI Bank in India. A change in ownership could allow the club to further extend their strategic reach.
What could go wrong?
United is a club with traditions. Promoting talent from the youth academy has always been important to its structure. The infamous Class of ’92 is a prime example of their academy’s successes, and illustrates the importance of these players to the club’s history. If Arab money comes flying in and the club invests in big names, youth integration will inevitably suffer. Manchester United have an illustrious past, but could end up like PSG or city-rivals Manchester City if the management opts for a different direction. They could enjoy limited success, but end up sacrificing their values in the eyes of many.
With the club’s stock price the highest in its history, will the Glazers be intimidated by the Saudi prince’s offer? Can this be the turning point that finally lifts Manchester United? The footballing world yearns for clarity as the owners make their decisions.