Sale of Manchester United could surpass £5 billio

(...) The sale of Manchester United could soon be finalized. When the Glazer family announced four months ago that the football giant was up for sale, it sent shockwaves through the world of professional sports — or rather, sports business. After all, in terms of total revenue last year, Manchester United was the fourth most profitable football club on the planet. The club from Old Trafford brought in cumulative revenues of £583.2 million last year — more than the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, or FC Barcelona. It’s no surprise, then, that the opportunity to acquire this gleaming sports trophy attracted several billionaires and financially strong investment groups. Not even the Glazers’ asking price of £5 billion discouraged potential suitors.

According to the latest reports, the final battle for the 20-time English champions will likely come down to two strong contenders: Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of multinational petrochemical company Ineos, and Qatari sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani — a lifelong Manchester United fan whose net worth is estimated at around £1 billion. However, the two camps are targeting different levels of ownership. Ratcliffe, whose firm already owns French Ligue 1 club OGC Nice, is seeking a 69% stake in Manchester United. In contrast, the Qatari sheikh aims for full control of the club.

If the Glazers were to sell Manchester United for the reported £5 billion, it would mark the most lucrative deal in the history of the sports industry — no other sports club would have ever been sold for more. The current record is held by last year’s sale of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, valued at “just” £3.71 billion.

"Everything points to Manchester United being sold, and a new world record being set," said sports analyst Jozef Tokos for Economic Daily.  In the coming days, it will be up to the Glazer family to decide whether they will retain a minority stake or exit the club entirely. "The sale of a brand like Manchester United would be a huge deal. This transaction would also rewrite the record books," Tokos added.

However, across the Atlantic, another mega-deal is taking shape — this time involving the NFL’s Washington Commanders. The estimated value of that transaction is £5.71 billion — even more than the Manchester United deal. "The American approach to managing sports clubs is different from ours in Europe. U.S. leagues use systems like the draft and salary caps. The focus is more on profitability. That’s also why their leagues are closed — meaning the worst-performing teams don't get relegated. In any case, both deals would be extremely lucrative and record-breaking," Tokos continued.

As of now, the Manchester deal seems closer to being finalized. Will sports fans soon witness a record-breaking mega-sale?