As Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS consortium move towards acquiring a one-quarter stake in Manchester United Football Club, they are hoping to get everything finalized, and in place ahead of the January transfer window (according to ESPN).
The $1.643 billion Ratcliffe proposal would see him buy a 25% share of the club (with an eye towards purchasing a larger share of the club, over time), and along with it, autonomy over the football side of the company.
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The ESPN report claims Ratcliffe “is conscious of supporter backlash because his deal will allow unpopular owners, the Glazer family, to stay on and there is a feeling that a positive January transfer window would go some way towards appeasing fans.”
Well, good on Ratcliffe to be aware of the pulse of the supporter base. Anti-Glazer backlash is higher than ever, and although he keep saying that over and over, the protests only continue to grow bigger and louder.
Another major Anti-Glazer protest is planned for Tuesday night, when United play their next home game, a Champions League clash against FC Copenhagen.
Sheikh Jassim bin al Thani, the most popular potential suitor among the supporter base (especially in the #GlazersOut crowd), dropped out of the running on Friday night.
Sheik Jassim was looking at buying the club in full, which would of course drive the Glazers out, a scenario that would have made many United fans happy.
With that by the wayside, perhaps they’ll have to settle for the Glazers, or more specifically the lackeys they appoint, not having control over roster build.
That said, the January window presents itself with all kinds of challenges in this regard.
First off, this team is kind of a mess right now, with upgrades needed at all positions. The back line has been ravaged by injury, and there is a big void in the wings/attacking midfielder/out wide forward positions.
Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho could both likely be leaving in January, and although Antony us back in the side again, one has to wonder about his long-term future.
Also the club has Financial Fair Play concerns after spending big to acquire seven new players in the summer. In order to meet FFP requirements, they’ll have to sell some of their surplus players at good prices.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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