20 May 2023 , 14:29
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The Glazers are set to consider their options at the end of this month as they attempt to clear up the uncertainty regarding a potential Manchester United takeover.
The much-criticised owners indicated their willingness to sell the club in a lengthy statement back in November but a deal is far from complete. Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe remain among the frontrunners to seal a deal at Old Trafford.
A number of rounds of bidding have come and gone but as of yet, the Glazers have not come to a definite conclusion. A preferred bidder has not been named by the facilitators of a sale - the Raine Group.
That has led Sheikh Jassim to make one final play for the club with a fourth bid but as predicted, there has been little in the way of response. It might not be too much longer for the Glazers to make up their mind though.
According to Sportico, the Glazers will review all of their options at the end of this month. It is detailed that members of the American family are still not unified on what they want to do which has been the main cause of the delay.
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They do have a number of options presented to them. Full control could be relinquished to either Ratcliffe or Sheikh Jassim, whilst external investment from Elliott Management, Ares Management Corporation, Sixth Street or Carlyle remains an option.
The Glazers are set to make a decision a takeover over the coming weeks (Getty Images)Do you think a takeover will be completed by next season? Share your predictions in the comments below
Meanwhile, the Glazers could yet decide to remain at Old Trafford, something that is unlikely to go down well with supporters or Red Devils’ icon Gary Neville. Speaking earlier this month, he said: "I think what scares Man United fans most is the feeling this Man United ownership are running this process to drive a massive price up.
"To try to somehow establish a level which means two of them can stay in and the rest of the family that want out can be bought out by an American fund who wouldn't mind owning a minority or significant share but not the entirety of the share.
"That's the biggest concern. The whole emphasis at this moment in time from Man United fans is this has to be the end of the Glazer ownership.”
Amid the uncertainty over the ownership of the Red Devils, one of the frontrunners Ratcliffe received a big boost to his wealth. The Manchester-born mogul rose a whopping 27 places in the UK rich list rankings over the past 24 hours.
That has made him the highest climber compared to 2022 and is now worth almost £30billion thanks to his petrochemical company, INEOS.