[imagesource: Unsplash / Samuel Regan-Asante]

Manchester United’s much-maligned owners, the Glazer family, are said to have informally named a price they would accept to sell the club. With prominent ex-players like Gary Neville and supporters’ groups putting the Glazers under pressure to sell, the American tycoons are said to want £3.75 billion to step aside. On the field, United appear to have been galvanised in recent weeks, with their recent 3-1 win over long-time rivals Arsenal moving them to within three points of the Premier League summit. The turnaround in fortunes under Erik ten Hag has been so quick that their odds to win the title have been slashed to 20/1 with Betway, who operate over 100 betting markets for every Premier League game and have a risk-free promotion for football acca punters.

Who is keen on buying out the Glazer family?

Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, recently stated his desire to buy the club that he’s supported since a boy. The billionaire chemical engineer and entrepreneur is said to have a personal net worth of $16.3 billion, according to the Forbes billionaires list, making him the 111th richest person on the planet.

Amid multiple supporter protests inside and outside the club’s Old Trafford stadium – which is in desperate need of regeneration – Ratcliffe said he was passionate about forming a consortium of people to stage a hostile takeover of the crisis club alongside individuals like former club director Michael Knighton, who is prepared to front the buyout bid.

The Emirati state of Dubai is also weighing up its potential involvement, with its sovereign wealth fund more than capable of affording the terms of the Glazers’ sale price. It would mark a third Middle Eastern state entering the English Premier League, with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) buying Newcastle United last year and Manchester City being owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, an investment vehicle for the Abu Dhabi royal family.

What will happen on the field for United in 2022/23?

After a disastrous start to the 2022/23 campaign initially, with back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Brentford, four successive victories have followed. This quartet of wins includes impressive home wins over Liverpool and Arsenal, with ten Hag’s men showing signs of making Old Trafford a fortress once again.

The future of Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be defined – at least in the short-term – after the 37-year-old remained a United player following the closure of the summer transfer window. The Portuguese has had to be patient with a bit-part role from the bench in recent weeks, but his influence on the training field and in the dressing room will be invaluable to ten Hag.