English giants Manchester United continues to slowly edge closer to finally shedding the ownership yolk of the Glazer family as multiple interested parties prepare for the inevitable bidding war to secure arguably the biggest football club on the planet.
101′s Ben Browning had reported earlier about the interest from a number of investment groups as well as Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with United looking for takeover bids to be fielded within the next 10 days with a deadline on the 18th of February, though many expect the club to offer some measure of leeway on account of initial interest not materializing into formal offers on the table.
One such possible bid comes from front-running Qatar, who is reportedly in a position to “arm manager Erik ten Hag with a vast war chest in order to take United back to the top of world football, which is where they feel the club belongs” after formally lodging what investors feel will be the strongest financial bid of all interested parties.
While many claim that United cannot be “fussy” and must avoid a moral stance regarding direct Qatari state ownership, there is growing concern among fans and certain journalistic circles alike that the club would make a massive error in judgment if they were to go down the same road as Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Both Colin Millar (The Mirror) and Matt Ford (DW Sports) have not been shy in their views surrounding the prospective new owners, with a feeling that fan voice and representation must be at the forefront of any new regime, while not allowing a football club the size of United to be used as a political pawn.
Ford stated earlier today “Manchester United Football Club must never be allowed to become a puppet for a nation-state, to be used and abused for ulterior geopolitical motives. The club represents the people of Manchester, whose values stand entirely opposed to those of Qatar.”
Millar is of a similar opinion, offering the stance that “Nation-state ownership is very bad for football with significant damaging consequences that transcend sport. The Glazers and Mike Ashley should never have been allowed anywhere near football clubs either. Fans must be fussier and more engaged than ever.”
Though there has been a clear pathway to immediate success for Premier League clubs that have welcomed ownership from the Middle East, with Manchester City questionably building a domestic empire of note and Newcastle United quickly rising from the ashes under PIF, there are many fans that still question the ethics behind direct ownership from regimes that regularly come under the microscope surrounding topics such as human rights, equality, and others.
