If it feels like forever since we had an update on the potential sale of Manchester United Football Club, well, it should. We really haven’t heard much of anything since mid-June when the consortium led by Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Al Thani was said to be the front-runner.
And if it feels like this whole MUFC Takeover process has been dragging on for the longest time, well, consider this: since the Glazer family announced that they were going to hear offers on the club, you could have conceived and birthed a child by now; literally.
And it has been a full year, literally, since we all became aware that the Glazers were putting the club on the trading block. So where are we today? According to Sky Sports News (see the video embedded below) Sheikh Jassim remains interested, and his £5 billion bid is still on the table. However, the process has stalled out as it appears the Glazers may not actually want to sell.
Ugh! Yet another process at MUFC that drags on and on and on and on…and could ultimately end in disappointment.
Sheikh Jassim still wants to buy Manchester United and his £5 billion bid for the club remains on the table. ?
The latest on United’s takeover ?? pic.twitter.com/M6UF4tgyMn
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 23, 2023
Nottingham Forest at Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. August 26, 3pm, Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
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Google Result Probability: Manchester United 74% Nottingham Forest 10% Draw 16%
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When all is said and done, I agree with what this guy below Tweeted:
Sheikh Jassim has been “close” to completing the takeover for 8 months…I ain’t falling for it this time.pic.twitter.com/xckYNEyToN https://t.co/xGl6bdXhVl
— Deng™ (@UTDDengv2) August 23, 2023
Today’s developments feel more like a non-update kind of update, more than anything else. And yes, we know there will be a huge backlash against the Glazers if they don’t sell, but do you really think they care? Will that make one bit of difference?
There is always a backlash against the Glazers, yet they are still there.
At least the club finally did the right thing about Mason Greenwood, or at least did the right thing, after first trying to do the wrong thing, and then realizing how wrong it would be.
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.