Manchester United insist they have set up shop in Davos this week to entertain clients and partners, rather than attract buyers for the club. United revealed at the end of last year that the Glazers had put the club up for sale as they explored strategic alternatives, including the possibility of a full takeover.
There has been no official comment on the sales process since the initial statement in November, though it is understood the Glazer family would prefer to proceed with a full sale of the club amid the ongoing strategic review.
This week, many United fans grew excited about the possibility of an impending takeover, when it emerged the club had set up a lounge at the World Economic Forum (WEF) which runs from January 16 to 20 in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland.
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In fact, this is not United's first time being present in Davos, with the club being WEF partners since 2019 and having also attended the forum back in 2020.
It is understood that United's presence at this year's summit is focused on their relationship with commercial partners and comes at a time when the club is searching for a new shirt-front partner to succeed TeamViewer.
United announced last month they had reached an agreement with TeamViewer to allow the club to look for a new front-of-shirt sponsor. TeamViewer’s five-year partnership with United was due to run until 2026, in a deal reported to be worth £47million per year.
However, a “mutually-beneficial agreement” with the business software company was made, which gave United the option of buying back the rights to the shirt sponsorship, which could then be sold on to another interested party.
A United spokesperson said: "Manchester United is proud to be the first sports team to partner with the World Economic Forum. Our global community of 1.1 billion fans and followers provide us with powerful opportunities to engage across cultural and geographical boundaries. We are in Davos to explore ways to maximise the impact of that extraordinary reach."
United is one of the companies to hire out a shop on the main high street in Davos, where ski resort facilities have been temporarily converted into spaces for a range of companies and organisations to host events during the annual gathering.
It is understood former United ambassador Peter Schmeichel and chief executive Richard Arnold will host a night for guests on Tuesday, while executive co-chairman Avram Glazer will arrive later this week.
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