Manchester United bidders have until Friday evening to submit their third and final offers as the club explores strategic alternatives to enhance growth, including a full sale.
The Glazer family values the club at £6bn and brought in the Raine Group to oversee the process, with a soft deadline of 17 February for expressions of interest. Raine later extended this deadline, with the third deadline set for Friday.
The bidders have been asked to clarify the source of their money, planned financial models, and debts secured against the club. Several parties have made minority investment proposals, with Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe believed to be among the interested parties.
The 1958, a United supporters group, has called for a full sale of the club, and fans have protested against the Glazers. United’s first season under Erik ten Hag has been successful, with the team set to face Manchester City in the FA Cup final and likely to qualify for the Champions League. However, the uncertainty over the club’s ownership remains a concern for fans.
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Leaving from central Manchester at 11.45 am, the march will continue onto Old Trafford and involve an 18-minute boycott of the match.
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“We boycott the game for 18 minutes,” the 1958 said. “One minute for each year the Glazers have driven our club into the ground.”
The protest is due to stop outside of the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, who earlier this month urged for the potential takeover process to be accelerated.
“With Erik ten Hag having made such great progress in his first season, and with the vital summer transfer window a matter of weeks away, the news of these delays and further prolonged uncertainty are of great concern,” a MUST statement read.
“Erik needs to know what resources he has to spend so he can make the signings the club needs and the whole management resources of the club need to be focused on supporting him in that. That cannot be the case with the future ownership so unclear.
“We are also unable to move forward on major investment projects – not least the stadium redevelopment as we remain in limbo.
“We are in dire need of new investment, which undoubtedly requires new ownership. MUST, along with United fans all around the world, are calling for this process to be concluded without further delay.”
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