Manchester United fans have been left concerned in recent days about the future ownership of the club.
Despite putting the Reds on the market, reports surfaced at the end of last week that Joel and Avram Glazer were becoming increasingly confident of staying at Old Trafford. It was also claimed they held hopes of doubling the value of the club.
Private equity firm Carlyle has been linked with a move to become minority stakeholders at Old Trafford. This development angered former Red Gary Neville. Now his former teammate Rio Ferdinand has entered the takeover debate. MEN Sport has taken a look at what he has to say as well as other updates.
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Ferdinand makes Glazers demand
Rio Ferdinand has urged the Glazers to be more transparent with fans if they don't end up selling Manchester United.
The takeover process is said to be heading towards a third stage of bidding although reports this week claimed that the current owners may ultimately opt to stay on in order to get an even greater return on their investment in future years.
The Glazers bought United for £790m in 2005 and are looking for around £6bn to sell the club 18 years on. It’s thought that the bids from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe will once again fall below this asking price.
Read more from Ferdinand here.
Sheikh Jassim 'confident' of United deal
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani remains confident he will succeed with his bid to buy Manchester United after it emerged that the Carlyle Group, a US investment firm, wants a minority stake and the Glazers have instructed Raine, the bank handling any sale, to examine the offer, The Guardian reports.
It is thought that another US fund, Ares Management, is interested in a similar arrangement. Yet despite Carlyle, Ares and Elliott Investment Management hoping to buy part of United from one or more of the six Glazer siblings, Sheikh Jassim, the Qatari banker who wants to acquire all of United via his Nine Two Foundation, believes his offer will be accepted.
He has stated his buyout would be debt free. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s richest people, wants to buy a controlling interest but has said he would borrow as part of any deal.
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