Club Sale | It’s done!

[sglowrider]

Have you seen the latest numbers? The coffers are dry, this would have been true 10 years ago.

Not now, the level of competition and money owed by the club and on going costs of running the club have grown astronomically.

Coffers arent dry... we still have our levers to pull.

 

[croadyman]

It’s Ratcliffe and no-one is claiming it’ll be his money, the bid will be coming from INEOS.

Could well be other people involved though

 

[croadyman]

I reckon it'll be a 3 way split between a Middle Eastern State, American Investment fund & then a wealthy individual who'll be the face of it all.

That actually even possible?

 

[croadyman]

More Americans who wants to leach on the clubs blood.

FFS Ratcliffe save us from this and ME get yourselves to the table pronto because cannot bear prospect of minority investment

 

[Alonzo]

Every American? Nah. The likes of which will bid for the club? Oh yes, I absolutely am tarring them with the same brush. I absolutely am generalizing because I think they are all the same. They are firmly at the bottom of my list of potential owners. Another American ownership is by far the worst thing that could happen, in my opinion.

absolutely undeniable that if you remove morality from the discussion, American owners are the absolute worst case by a country mile. It would be devastating were that to happen.Anyone saying otherwise, please provide one example of American ownership outside of American leagues being best in class, and not fuelled by greed.

i have a serious issue with sovereign wealth of countries with worse than questionable human rights records owning the club. But American investors are vultures and cause long term harm.

 

[Alonzo]

FFS Ratcliffe save us from this and ME get yourselves to the table pronto because cannot bear prospect of minority investment

Imagine being worth so much money, and still being stupid enough to invest into anything run by the family of parasite rats running United. I find it hard to believe anyone would pull the trigger on that, given who you’re trusting your money with.

 

[croadyman]

Imagine being worth so much money, and still being stupid enough to invest into anything run by the family of parasite rats running United. I find it hard to believe anyone would pull the trigger on that, given who you’re trusting your money with.

So what's the alternative

 

[Red in STL]

With the strength of the Dollar and sport being seen as a business the most likely buyers have always been Americans. Fact there seems to be little concrete interest from Middle East isn’t really a surprise.

Unless the US House Repubicans get their ducks in a row the US Dollar is going to fall off a cliff in the not to distant future, unfortunately so will the world economy and the Glazers will be lucky to seel to anone bar an oil state and even then not at the price they want

 

[Alonzo]

So what's the alternative

wasn’t having a go at all. Just saying you’d have to be a fool to be a minority owner in any project run by the rats. I’d be suprised if that happened. Think a full sale is the only realistic outcome

 

[croadyman]

wasn’t having a go at all. Just saying you’d have to be a fool to be a minority owner in any project run by the rats. I’d be suprised if that happened. Think a full sale is the only realistic outcome

Ah ok yeah got everything crossed for full sale

 

[Red in STL]

That actually even possible?

Probably but it won't happen, a ME state doesn't need partners and have more than enough money

 

[croadyman]

Probably but it won't happen, a ME state doesn't need partners and have more than enough money

Needs them to come to table first

 

[amolbhatia50k]

The fact the Glazers could walk away with 5-8 billion having put nothing into the club makes me sick. You just hope they sell before the summer so we can get players in but knowing them they will be trying to squeeze a few more million from the buyers, dragging out the process.

It's appalling. The cnuts should have to take their sham debt with them.

 

[Red in STL]

Needs them to come to table first

True but the don't need to do it publically, for all we know they have already done so, as seme said earlier, we have no idea what's actually going on

 

[croadyman]

True but the don't need to do it publically, for all we know they have already done so, as seme said earlier, we have no idea what's actually going on

Yeah hopefully it is under radar and we don't get any more years of US vultures

 

[Red in STL]

Yeah hopefully it is under radar and we don't get any more years of US vultures

Watch the US political scene, it will have a bearing

 

[Peelhead]

Needs them to come to table first

Agree that a middle east state would probably be a sole owner but there's no outright reason why they could not share ownership.

It's a sign of the times that credit risk and price is going up so that's why we're seeing talk about consortia, even the rich are getting wary.

When I think of how much money will have been wasted over the last decade, it's insane.

 

[UnitedSofa]

HBSE own a bit of Palace too

 

[Red the Bear]

The Everton owner is generous. Generosity is pointless if they're incompetent. Boehly already looks like another example of that. Hard no to any Americans. Middle East is by far the safest option imo. There's already examples of them running clubs effectively and their main goal isn't actually to make a profit, which means they're generally more willing to invest in their clubs. I don't know about Ratcliffe, different size and profile of club, but his time owning Nice would give me cause for concern and despite being wealthy he also probably wouldn't have the resources to inject much of his own money into the club. We seem to have major problems with FFP atm, so any owner coming in would probably need to be able to inject some sort of cash at least, not to mention the costs associated with rebuilding/renovating the stadium.

I like our new set up (although they've got a long way to go) so I think as long as they're given the financial support they need we'd be alright.

 

[phelans shorts]

I like our new set up (although they've got a long way to go) so I think as long as they're given the financial support they need we'd be alright.

I’m with you, from the little we’ve seen of Murtough/Arnold I think there’s a good future there. I do understand why folk are hesitant given what we’ve put up with under Woodward (absolutely not the vitriol we often see kind) but personally I’m with you.

 

[Godfather]

More Americans who wants to leach on the clubs blood.

This is the worst

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

The part sale thing just seems a non starter now that Ratcliffe has come out and said he wants to buy the club as a whole.

They would only have got away with part sale thing if they'd said this is only what they were looking for from the start, or no one came forward to say they wanted to buy us.

There's no going back now without all hell breaking loose for them, and I don't see why they'd want to anyway, they are about to get their massive pay day the takeover in 2005 was all about getting.

 

[phelans shorts]

It is basically an interest free loan from the selling club, that do not impact our performance vs the FFP rules (as long as you are solvent and pay your debts, they are all about earnings).

If we sign a player and agree to pay 50m over 5 years, it impacts our result the same way as if we would have agreed to pay 50m in cash right away.

From a cash flow perspective it can be more complicated though. But that should be manageable.

That’s interesting. I would have thought that for the selling club being able to point to X amount of guaranteed income for several years would be helpful given the rolling nature that FFP takes (it does I think?) but I’m no accountant so anything beyond the utter basics when it comes to FFP is beyond me

 

[Red the Bear]

I’m with you, from the little we’ve seen of Murtough/Arnold I think there’s a good future there. I do understand why folk are hesitant given what we’ve put up with under Woodward (absolutely not the vitriol we often see kind) but personally I’m with you.

How they've been in sync with the manager and have clearly targeted the areas in most need of addressing has been very encouraging so far, I think they could do some decent things given the money.

I'd keep them on the job were i the new owners coming in.

 

[Von Mistelroum]

Sounds more and more likely that the Glazers will just be joined by additional leeches.

This could really be an end to United as we know it. We're struggling financially with just one set of leeching owners.

 

[cyberman]

Sounds more and more likely that the Glazers will just be joined by additional leeches.

This could really be an end to United as we know it. We're struggling financially with just one set of leeching owners.

Na, they’ll simply have a lot lot more interested in minority stakes than full takeovers. That’s all this is.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Na, they’ll simply have a lot lot more interested in minority stakes than full takeovers. That’s all this is.

They need major investment, not bits and pieces investors. It would just mean no infrasture investment, more money going out in dividends (surely they Glazers would not be happy with dividends being shared out to even more people). It would also mean more Americans to get it in the neck every week.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

So Ratcliffe is the only one so far that’s interested in a full purchase of the club, the rest are just more leaches from the US looking for a minority stake to bleed the club dry alongside the Glazers. Feck me, talk about slim pickings, Ratcliffe is looking like a very attractive proposition suddenly and may be the only option if the ME don’t get involved.

 

[phelans shorts]

Sounds more and more likely that the Glazers will just be joined by additional leeches.

This could really be an end to United as we know it. We're struggling financially with just one set of leeching owners.

There’s absolutely nothing to suggest that is the case

 

[cyberman]

They need major investment, not bits and pieces investors. It would just mean no infrasture investment, more money going out in dividends (surely they Glazers would not be happy with dividends being shared out to even more people). It would also mean more Americans to get it in the neck every week.

Minority stakes would be a major investment. Say it’s 30 percent, you’re talking billions already. Plus why would they just stop at one minority investor if they have options?

 

[Zed 101]

Minority stake + Glazers is just more leeches at the table, only upside is that there may be some push back against their borrowing and poor management, but minority means push back has no real authority

 

[KiD MoYeS]

So Ratcliffe is the only one so far that’s interested in a full purchase of the club, the rest are just more leaches from the US looking for a minority stake to bleed the club dry alongside the Glazers. Feck me, talk about slim pickings, Ratcliffe is looking like a very attractive proposition suddenly and may be the only option if the ME don’t get involved.

No, Ratcliffe is the only potential buyer to go public. As of now, he is the only option we know of. Sixth Street denied any interest and the other rumoured American investor is coming from a random tweet quoting a Mail story.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

People need to realise that a minority investment is a really bad investment. Outside investors will be well aware of how badly the Glazers have operated. It is not a great stake to have if the Glazers remain.

 

[Eugenius]

So Ratcliffe is the only one so far that’s interested in a full purchase of the club, the rest are just more leaches from the US looking for a minority stake to bleed the club dry alongside the Glazers. Feck me, talk about slim pickings, Ratcliffe is looking like a very attractive proposition suddenly and may be the only option if the ME don’t get involved.

A minority stake is not necessarily a bad thing, if it comes with a capital injection into Utd (eg Glazers issue new shares and use proceeds to pay down debt or do the stadium). Probably wishful thinking - but reading the athletic it seems the main motivation why the glazers want rid now is you have all the non-exec shareholders in the family who want out & Joel Glazer is looking at the pile of debt and stadium money needed.

The fact is anyone buying it is going to assume £1bn of debt and probably another £1bn of stadium investment needed. I'd be sceptical that Ratcliffe is going to be a benevolent white knight. Unless you want a middle east sovereign wealth fund.

 

[croadyman]

So Ratcliffe is the only one so far that’s interested in a full purchase of the club, the rest are just more leaches from the US looking for a minority stake to bleed the club dry alongside the Glazers. Feck me, talk about slim pickings, Ratcliffe is looking like a very attractive proposition suddenly and may be the only option if the ME don’t get involved.

Yeah I will back him to the hilt if that's the case

 

[croadyman]

People need to realise that a minority investment is a really bad investment. Outside investors will be well aware of how badly the Glazers have operated. It is not a great stake to have if the Glazers remain.

These guys shouldn't be getting past first stage

 

[VP89]

So Ratcliffe is the only one so far that’s publically declared interested in a full purchase of the club, the rest are keeping their interest private for now

Fixed.

Seriously though, think it was even written in the article that broke Ratcliff interest that ME have come to the table as well. Let's not pretend that it's slim pickings.

 

[croadyman]

Fixed.

Seriously though, think it was even written in the article that broke Ratcliff interest that ME have come to the table as well. Let's not pretend that it's slim pickings.

Doesn't the latest thing say "hoping"

 

[SouthMancRed]

HBSE will move in the same world as the Glazers. I doubt they, or any other greed is good US financial organisation, would waste their time and money preparing and putting in a bid for a partial share if they didn't know it was a serious option.

 

[VP89]

Doesn't the latest thing say "hoping"

Can't remember. But a more reputable outlet in Athletic has already broken news they have held talks with the Middle East. Its very obvious they are at the table already.