Several of the financials this week are reporting on the renewed interest of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, in making an offer of $3 billion for the club. Since Ole took over the share value of the club has fallen 25% to $15 per share which values the club at just under $2.1 billion. There are also reports that Kevin Glazer wants to sell his 13% holding, valued at $270m, on the open share market through the NYSE where the club is listed. Considering that the Glazers bought the club for £750m a sale now would represent a massive profit for them but there will be concerns voiced by some fans about the suitability of the Saudis as being the 'right' owners of the club given their human rights record and other humanitarian concerns. Personally I see the new generation of royals in Saudi as more liberal, more open, and they are definitely making progress in terms of human rights issues, women's rights and so on. The AJ v Ruiz fight is another sign that they are keen to embrace more of the Western culture and invest in a higher profile in the sporting environment. A few years ago I would have said no, but now I think their money is as good as anyone else's and I would welcome them as owners.
The Glazers won’t/can’t sell as their business empire is propped up by United. The Saudis owning United would be the polyps on top of the **** cake.
You're kidding, right? You really think the Saudis have changed in the past few years? We are talking about the same Saudi that killed a journalist at the embassy a year ago? The same Saudis that continue to terrify Yemen in an unjust war? The same nation that deploys human trafficking as means to facilitate their service industry? Pig is a pig regardless of what lipstick you put on it. While I wouldn't say no to them to get rid of the Glazers, it certainly wouldn't be because I care for their "improving" human rights record. It hasn't changed and I don't expect it to change. But I'd take anyone over the Glazers right about now because our on-field problems are deeply structural and starts with mismanagement from the very top.
I’m not interested in politics and sport being mixed. If we have an owner who lets us spend our own money and doesn’t interfere with the running of the football side of the club then I don’t care if it’s Saudi or US or British. We don’t need their money or their input. If it takes a nasty Saudi to get rid of a ****ing horrible vermin leach family then so be it.
We need owners that care about the status of the club and not just the money it generates, that way we should end up with football people running the club instead of clowns like Woodward. City's owners make sure they have the best football knowledge in all positions so the club gets a high profile and in return boosts their visibility (they also do a **** lot for the surrounding community/area which is a nice aside).
At the end of the day, the entity buying the club would be the sovereign wealth fund of the Saudi royal family and while the Saudis, as a nation, might have a questionable human rights record, so too do some of the other countries in the region that also own or provide major sponsorship for other clubs. The UAE have a dreadful record of virtually enslaving foreign workers to build their shiny skyscrapers with little or no regard to workplace safety - hundreds of migrant workers have died in recent years, the same with Qatar, the major sponsor of Barcelona - 1,200 foreign workers are reported to have been killed while building the world cup facilities. There is very little major wealth out there that isn't tainted in one way or another, either by it's dubious origins (Roman and his kind) or by the governments behind the source of the wealth. I would rather have the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia own our club than the Glazers who have shown nothing but contempt for the club and supporters since the day they arrived. New owners could fund the much-needed revamp and expansion of OT as well as giving us the financial clout to develop world class training facilities and to attract major talent in all areas of the club.
Good to get rid of the Glazers if so. That's it though. I'm not mad keen on the idea of a bottomless pit so we can compete with City. It's not actual competition, we've always held our own by being self financed and bringing through our own players, regardless of what spin the media and supporters of clubs say, this is the truth. I'm just not comfortable with this. That all said, football as I like and knew it has long since disappeared over the hill so it won't make much difference. I will always support the entity of Manchester United FC and the team itself. The 'club' (it no longer is one) and the league it plays in are long gone though.
