London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Who could buy Manchester United? The billionaire boyhood fan and seven other possible contenders

Who could buy Manchester United? The billionaire boyhood fan and seven other possible contenders

With a price tag reported to be anywhere between £5bn and £9bn, Sky News looks at the potential contenders to buy Manchester United as the Glazer family consider selling the club.

The news that Manchester United's controversial owners, the Glazer family, could finally be selling the club has been met with delight from many of their supporters.

After saddling the club with huge debt and overseeing United's worst trophy drought in 40 years, Sky News exclusively revealed the American owners are considering selling up after a 17-year reign dominated by fan protests.

But with a price tag reported to be anywhere between £5bn and £9bn, who could buy the club? Sky News looks at the possible contenders.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe



One of Britain's richest men and - according to Forbes - with a net worth of $13bn (£10.9bn), Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a boyhood United fan and a proven investor in sport.

He expressed an interest in buying United after it was reported in August that the Glazers were considering selling a minority stake in the club.

Sir Jim, the chairman and chief executive of chemical company Ineos, already owns French football club Nice and Swiss side FC Lausanne-Sport, as well as cycling team Ineos Grenadiers.

He was unsuccessful in a last-minute £4.25bn bid to buy Chelsea in May, as American businessman Todd Boehly successfully acquired the London club

A source told Sky Sports News in August that Sir Jim was serious about purchasing United, and ex-players would be involved along with Grenadiers general manager Sir Dave Brailsford, a former performance director at British Cycling.

In October, Sir Jim revealed he had met Glazer brothers Joel and Avram but was told then they were not interested in selling the club.


Lord O'Neill was a leading figure in the Red Knights. Pic: Richard Gardner

A group of wealthy United supporters known as the Red Knights were expected to make a bid of about £1.25bn for the club in 2010.

The group included former Football League chairman Keith Harris, then Goldman Sachs chief economist Lord O'Neill, and the hedge fund manager Sir Paul Marshall.

The proposed bid was put on hold after the group said media speculation of "inflated valuation aspirations" had hampered its plans.

However their continued interest in United's ownership emerged earlier this year when Sky News revealed Lord O'Neill and Sir Paul had written to Joel Glazer to demand a string of immediate reforms at the club.
Avram Glazer (L) and Joel Glazer are considering selling Manchester United


They called for the Glazers to commit to reducing their combined stake in United to a maximum of 49.9% to "encourage a broader group of investors to consider ownership in the club in the future".

It followed the Glazers' involvement in plans to form a breakaway European Super League, which caused fury among football fans across the country.

Sovereign wealth fund


Dubai's sovereign wealth fund has been named in reports as a potential bidder for Manchester United.

It is yet to follow the likes of Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia in adding a Premier League club to its portfolio.

United's local rivals Manchester City have enjoyed huge success on the pitch since being owned by Abu Dhabi's City Football Group, while Newcastle United were bought by Saudi Arabia's giant Public Investment Fund last year.

Newcastle United fans celebrate the Saudi-led takeover of the club


However any investment from Dubai would raise ethical questions over the involvement of the United Arab Emirates, where homosexuality is illegal and, according to Amnesty, the government continues to commit serious human rights violations.

US private equity firm


There were reports in August that New York-based private equity firm Apollo were in talks about acquiring a minority stake in United.

Fans' groups and Gary Neville were among those to voice their opposition, with the former United captain writing on Twitter: "The US model of sports ownership is all about significant return on investment... the ownership model in England needs to change and US money is a bigger danger to that than any other international money. We need a regulator asap!"

Former United players


Gary Neville and David Beckham have invested in football clubs since retiring from playing


A host of former United players have experience of football club ownership and their involvement in a bid for United could prove popular with fans.

Members of United's famous 1999 treble-winning squad Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs are co-owners of League Two club Salford City, along with Singaporean business magnate Peter Lim.

Beckham also co-owns US side Inter Miami.

Michael Knighton


The former Manchester United director, who saw a £20m bid for United collapse in 1989, had recently been forming his own consortium to buy the club and claimed to have raised more than £3bn.

He told Sky News in August that the Glazers "have run out of road" and should sell up.

However Mr Knighton put his own ambitions to buy United on hold to back Sir Jim Ratcliffe to become the new owner and it is unclear if he would renew his interest.

Mukesh Ambani


One of India's richest men with a reported net worth of $90.9bn (£76bn), Mukesh Ambani bought IPL cricket team Mumbai Indians in 2008 and has led them to several titles during his tenure.

The founder of Reliance Industries, the multinational conglomerate, was recently reported to be considering a takeover bid for Liverpool - after owners Fenway Sports Group said they were open to offers for the club - but his representative denied this, according to Indian media.

Elon Musk



The world's richest person claimed he was "buying Manchester United" in a post on Twitter earlier this year, only to later clarify that he was joking.

With a net worth, according to Forbes, of $182.6bn (£153bn), Musk certainly has the funds to buy the club and has shown he is willing to go ahead with controversial takeovers through his $44bn purchase of Twitter.

However the Tesla and SpaceX boss's turbulent start to his ownership of the social media platform may put off United and their fans.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×