Time for your daily Manchester United FC takeover update, and the bottom line this- it’s still wide open. We don’t know yet what the Glazer family are going to do with this highly prized asset, but the investors who submitted bids to take on a minority role of ownership are still in the mix, according to a report in ESPN.
These groups are obviously not as interesting and captivating as the bid from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani (which would seek 100% ownership of the club), or Sir Jim Ratcliffe (who would purchase a majority stake, but keep the Glazers on in a minority role).
But while these actors don’t have anywhere near as much of a role in the grand play that is the MUFC Takeover dramatic series, they are still relevant nonetheless.
They may not grab headlines, but they’ll have influence before all is said and done.
According to a report in ESPN FC, “a host of investment firms also remain in the running, with offers to purchase a minority stake on the table.
The article then goes on to list out:
“American based investment firm Carlyle, U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management, American investment group Ares Management Corporation and U.S. global investment firm Sixth Street are among the groups who have made offers to purchase a minority stake.”
Let’s focus on Carlyle, as we’ve covered this elitist group, with assets of close to £300 billion, before.
They don’t get much press these days, due to an effective rebrand and cunning PR strategy, but they were covered quite a bit during the early 2000s.
The Carlyle Group is basically as close as you’ll find to a real world consortium of rich, powerful people who proverbially “run the world.” They have ex-U.S. Presidents among their hierarchy.
Back during the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, they became amongst the world’s worst war profiteers, on par with corporations like Halliburton and Blackwater.
Here’s a link to more on them.
Last week we also learned that the MUFC Takeover saga might end up being litigated in court, and that it is in fact, some of the hedge funds and investment banking firms involved here who could force it that way.
Remember, the biggest wigs of Wall St. just do not lose, ever. They have enough wealth and power to make it that way.
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.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.