Manchester United takeover - What can change under the new owners?

Manchester United was put up for sale on November 22 by the Glazer family. In an official statement, the club said they are looking at 'strategic alternatives' that include the option of selling the club.

The announcement came quickly after the decision to mutually terminate Cristiano Ronaldo's contract. The news that the club could be sold has caused a stir in the market, with the club's stock reaching a record high since December 2021.

The Glazers took over the club in 2005. Their early years were decorated with on-field success, courtesy of the brilliance of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, post his departure, despite spending close to £1 billion, United has failed to win major trophies.

The owners have come under scrutiny from the fans for being stringent with the purse despite the club churning out huge revenues courtesy of its massive fan base. They have also been called into question over their poor decision-making skills when it comes to player transfers.

The biggest accusation laid towards them was that they see Manchester United as a marketing brand rather than a football club.

The Glazers Family eyeing selling Manchester United

Whatever the reason, the Glazers seem to have finally decided to possibly move away from Manchester. Some of the potential buyers who have been tipped to buy the club include the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), Jim O'Neill, Aethel Partners, The Ricketts Family, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The ICD is a firm worth $305b that manages the sovereign wealth fund of the Government of Dubai. It could prove to be an enticing buy since Abu Dhabi investors currently own United's local rivals Manchester City.

Jim O'Neill is also reportedly keen to buy the club should the Glazers reduce their valuation. The Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs baseball team, lost out on the opportunity to buy AC Milan in 2018 and then Chelsea in 2022. They will be keen to finally get it right and buy Manchester United.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe came close to buying United earlier this year. His spokesperson talked about the Englishman's interest in buying the club.

With so many possible investors already on the scene, we can see United not falling short of suitors despite a tricky market situation in several parts of the world.

There is no guarantee that the new owner will be doing things perfectly, but the state of the club is such that it would be very difficult not to improve the current standards.

Players complaining about basic amenities like food, gym, and jacuzzis is not something that the biggest club in the world should have to go through. The lack of a sporting director is another position that the Glazers never filled. It greatly hampered United in an era when every medium-sized club also proceeds with a sporting project in mind.

Manchester United will possibly also change their policy of signing star players who guarantee shirt sales and instead get footballers who fit the bill to play in the manager's system. The Glazers seemed to have missed a basic trick that for a sporting brand, on-field success trumps all other marketing gimmicks.

The new owners will possibly understand that focusing on getting results on the pitch and making a project with football as the centerpiece will automatically push the stocks of the club up the chart, keep the fans happy and further build the brand for Manchester United.

A recent example would be Todd Boehly at Chelsea, who understands the importance of building a project based on winning football. He is appointing sporting personnel in multiple departments to bring in the experience, which otherwise would have pushed the focus away from football.

Whoever comes in, football fans will hope to see the heritage of Manchester United reinstated at the zenith of club football.