Although Manchester City fans were delighted at the prospect of Thaksin Shinawatra selling their club in 2008, they were stunned when learning it was the Abu Dhabi United Group that had acquired the club, which promised stratospheric investment.
The takeover came out of the blue and the 14 years since have seen Manchester United's rivals establish themselves among Europe's elite. They are no longer the 'noisy neighbours' that Sir Alex Ferguson shunned, they have been the Premier League's most successful team across the last decade and the decay at Old Trafford has been made even more painful by their newfound dominance.
Man City's meteoric rise in the Premier League has meant one less place in the top four and Newcastle are the latest club to harbour grand ambitions. The share of the pie is getting thinner and that's perhaps why now is the right time for the Glazer family, who announced on Tuesday night they were 'exploring strategic opportunities' for the club, to finally leave Old Trafford.
