Manchester United's owners the Glazers have confirmed the club is now for sale, with the US family saying they are 'exploring strategic alternatives'.
Protests have dominated pre-match demonstrations outside Old Trafford in recent weeks and months, with supporters also voicing their opinions inside the ground for all to hear. Chelsea are the most recent Premier League club to have completed a successful takeover.
The news of Cristiano Ronaldo's exit was welcomed by most following his outlandish interview, with Erik ten Hag now tasked with guiding the club through its next chapter, as takeover talks will no doubt dominate the headlines in the weeks that follow.
ALSO READ: Sir Jim Ratcliffe delivered 'bad omen' as Manchester United put up for sale by the Glazers
Following the news, plenty of American news outlets had their say on the matter. Here's a round-up of what they had to say:
James Robson, Washington Post
Manchester United’s American owners confirmed Tuesday they would consider putting the iconic Premier League club up for sale.
United said the Glazer family was exploring outside funding to enhance growth — a move that could pave the way to a potential buyout.
“As part of this process, the board will consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company,” it said in a statement.
American investment bank the Raine Group has been enlisted to handle any sale or fresh investment.
Raine earlier this year handled the sale of Premier League club Chelsea to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, successfully securing 2.5 billion pounds ($3 billion) plus a commitment of 1.75 billion pounds ($2 billion) of further investment.
While there is no guarantee the Glazers will cede complete control of United, the news will provide hope to the team’s supporters who have long-campaigned to drive out the American family, which also owns the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The late tycoon Malcolm Glazer bought United in 2005 for 790 million pounds (then about $1.4 billion) amid a backlash from fans.
Unrest has continued in the following years and in recent times seen increasingly angry protests. A game against Liverpool had to be postponed last year following demonstrations at Old Trafford.
Matt Foster, CNN
United is a rarity in the world of sports and finance.
It’s one of the few publicly traded major sports franchises, but there are some others. Shares of two rivals of United are publicly traded on European exchanges – Germany’s Borussia Dortmund trades in Frankfurt while Italy’s Juventus is listed in Milan.
According to Forbes, Manchester United is the third most valuable football club in the world at $4.6 billion – behind only Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.
However, the club hasn’t won a trophy since 2017 and has had a succession of managers since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Current incumbent Erik ten Hag is the fifth permanent manager to be appointed by United since Alex Ferguson, following David Moyes, Luis van Gaal, José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Earlier on Tuesday, United announced that Cristiano Ronaldo is leaving the club with immediate effect.
In a brief statement, United said the decision, which comes a week after Ronaldo gave an explosive TV interview about his frustrations at the club, was made by mutual agreement.
Igor Mello, CBS
Manchester United could be up for sale soon as the Glazer family is preparing to examine potential sources of outside investment.
Among the options for the American owners include a complete or partial sale, or a strategic partnership to infuse the club with more funding, the team announced on Tuesday.
American businessman Malcolm Glazer purchased what is arguably one of the most famous clubs on the planet back in 2005 for an approximate value of £800 million.
The news comes hours after the club terminated Cristiano Ronaldo's contract following his explosive tell-all interview with Piers Morgan where the 37-year-old star, who's with the Portuguese national team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, aired his grievances and damaged his legacy with the Red Devils in the process so that he could force an exit in January.
He got his wish just days before Portugal's first group-stage game. In that interview, the criticized the amenities at the Old Trafford club and took aim at the American owners by accusing them of not caring about the club.
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