The Manchester United ownership debacle has been an issue for the club which continues to rage on. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is poised to complete a 25 percent purchase of the club for around £1.3bn. We were able to catch up with former Manchester United defender Paul Parker who weighed in on the ownership issue which continues to hang over the club.
In this article:
- Ratcliffe owning 25% still helps the Glazers fill their pockets
- Ratcliffe has to get the remaining shares to prove himself to fans
Ratcliffe Owning 25% Still Helps The Glazers Fill Their Pockets
Sheikh Jassim and his Qatari consortium have completely pulled out of the bidding process for Manchester United, causing dismay among sections of the United supporters. At the moment, Sir Jim Ratcliffe seems poised to finalise his purchase of a 25 percent stake in the club. Regrettably, this implies that the Glazer family will retain ownership. Parker believes the disappointment among the United fans stems more from their desire to see the Glazers depart than the potential financial influx the Qatari takeover might have brought.
“The biggest problem at Manchester United right now is that the fans do not want the Glazers involved. That’s why the Qatar offer seemed like the right option to the fans. It wasn’t about the money. It’s about getting rid of the current ownership.
“And then there will be worries about being in the same bracket as Newcastle and Manchester City in terms of being owned by Middle Easterns.
“25% helps and he wants to run the sporting side but this still helps the Glazers because they can wash their hands with what’s going on pitch-side and still put money in their pockets.”
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Ratcliffe Has To Get The Remaining Shares To Prove Himself To Fans
Parker asserts that to win over the Manchester United fan base, Ratcliffe must acquire the remaining shares of the club. He also expresses reservations about the future of Eric ten Hag, suspecting he might not align with Ratcliffe’s vision for the team.
“The next step for Jim Ratcliffe is to go and get the other shares and if does go and get the shares people will look at it differently.
“We have never known Manchester United as a club that gets pulled into different directions like they are right now.
“It is worrying when you read stories about wanting Tottenham’s former Sporting Director. If he comes in he may want to bring in a different manager which means more turmoil in terms of changing the staff again as well as the playing staff.”