Club Sale | It’s done!

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devilish

Juventus fan who used to support United
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If Qatar or the Saudis really want to buy the club then they will, we just need to look at the unsophosticated fraud being done at City to know that if a state wanted to own the club and bypass a few rules they have the means to do so.

One option is to use a local businessman with 'independent wealth' as a front man, get one of our ex players to come in at the head of a 'consortium' and then jave their investment fund channel in funds to that consortium or companies owned by the said local businessman.

Companies like Amazon, Apple and Sir Jim's outfit being linked with a takeover. Given how corrupt people at that level are, what stops the Saudis or anyone from using Ratcliffe and investing the need billions via his firm whilst having under the table agreements for the eventual takeover after parcelling out their holdings in Newcastle over a few years? It comes down to whether they really want to or not but they have the means.

I remember this funny transaction where Abu Dabhi/QSI invested in a US fund that later later bought or is in the process of buying a 15% stake in City/PSG. Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Abu Dabhi have the capacity to do the same and use a fund based in the tax havens to avoid too many taxes.
I think that there are more elegant ways to do that which include

a- initially buy a minority stake in Manchester United but with the written agreement that they'll buy a percentage of the club every year at a certain price. That would give them time to sell Newcastle/PSG

b- they could build a consortium of companies set up who can buy the club themselves. This may look very British indeed (Canary Wharf group, Claridge's, the Shard, and Harrods), a Western CEO could be appointed in such circumstances with David Beckham acting as a front man. Alternatively they could involve a Qatari business man as minor shareholder who is under their thumb and who acts as the financial front man with an ex player acting as the football front man. These people are set to invest 10B in Brexit Britain. Would the government dare irking them by giving the deal the thumbs down?
 

BluesJr

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Big no to Ratcliffe. I have zero faith he’d hire the right people based on Nice.
 

Infra-red

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Still that phrase private equity is lingering
I'm not sure I'd want a PE firm as the majority owners of the club, but it's certainly possible that there will be some PE involved - Man City, Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea are all at least part-owned by PE firms. La Liga sold 8.25% of their media rights for the next 50 years to CVC Capital Partners in 2021. Private Equity is here to stay in football.
 

Telsim

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"He will do a better job here because it's just Nice and he isn't serious, and Nice was just a tryout for his eventual ownership of Manchester United anyway, and he will definitely do a better job owning Manchester United because he is a local lad, even if he doesn't live in the UK anymore to avoid taxes and tried to buy Chelsea instead, and that qualifies him no matter what because he cares for the club and the fans, even if he didn't think twice about poisoning the latter for profit, so it doesn't matter and I'm sure he won't do the same with the club."

I was just getting these out of the way. Carry on.
 
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Red in STL

Turnover not takeover
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No they are on the ropes because they are no longer able to fulfil their obligations. The stadium redevelopment requires funding, they are obliged to do something since they commissioned the report. The majority of the family want out and have done since Malcom passed.

The current financial climate (no more low interest rates) and the clubs current debt position and transfer deficit, means they are no longer able to refinance the club at banks without taking on higher interest rates.

This puts them in a position where they either have to find 1+bn to pump into the club or take on high interest which will wipe out any dividends they could pay themselves.
Or they get new investment in, however investors know this position and most want 100% ownership instead (on the ropes)
What obligations?

As long as the stadium meets the PL and legal requirements they don't have to redevelop anything, they don't have to provide any funds for new players either, probably not in their best interests to not do so but that's up to them unfortunately
 

mu4c_20le

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Hmm, things didn't get weird because of the bid. It's getting weird because this account decided to run background checks on their players for the clicks.

Can't take them seriously unless they run the same stringent checks for the Qataris.
 

Mr Pigeon

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Is anyone considering possibly preparing a bid at this stage? It's like the transfer gossip but with Clubs rather than players
I am, just adding the finishing touches to my PowerPoint presentation.
 

Plant0x84

Shame we’re aren’t more like Brighton
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I'm not sure I'd want a PE firm as the majority owners of the club, but it's certainly possible that there will be some PE involved - Man City, Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea are all at least part-owned by PE firms. La Liga sold 8.25% of their media rights for the next 50 years to CVC Capital Partners in 2021. Private Equity is here to stay in football.
A PE firm owning the club would be quite fitting considering allegedly our previous manager was a PE teacher*

(*Not my opinion, club legend)
 

Telsim

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I am, just adding the finishing touches to my PowerPoint presentation.
Considering the people you'll be pitching it to, make sure to put a lot of pretty colors, pictures, O-faces and graphs pointing upwards. Just make it like a clickbait YouTube thumbnail, basically.
 

Godfather

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Hmm, things didn't get weird because of the bid. It's getting weird because this account decided to run background checks on their players for the clicks.

Can't take them seriously unless they run the same stringent checks for the Qataris.
Well one club wins the league on the trot whereas the other club is midtable. Tells you all you need to know really.
 

Mr Pigeon

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Considering the people you'll be pitching it to, make sure to put a lot of pretty colors, pictures, O-faces and graphs pointing upwards. Just make it like a clickbait YouTube thumbnail, basically.
:lol: yeah it's actually just a photoshopped picture of Joel Glazer in a pool filled with money and bourbon. I'll add some dollar symbols and a big red circle to it.
 

JPRouve

can't stop thinking about balls - NOT deflategate
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:lol: yeah it's actually just a photoshopped picture of Joel Glazer in a pool filled with money and bourbon. I'll add some dollar symbols and a big red circle to it.
You also need to grow a mullet, it will impress them.
 

Compton22

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Now can everyone please stop panicking about minority investment!?


Calendars ready, people :)
 

#07

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Not directed at you @Adnan just a comment on the tweets.

We keep being told there's so much interest. Yet look at the bylines, basically all sports journalists. Where are the business and financial correspondents writing about this? Could it be they're not willing to put their credibility on the line writing about supposed interest that, in reality, is smoke and mirrors?
 

Telsim

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:lol: yeah it's actually just a photoshopped picture of Joel Glazer in a pool filled with money and bourbon. I'll add some dollar symbols and a big red circle to it.
I have to admit I was really lazy with it. Should be enough to convince them, though:

 

UnitedSofa

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Not directed at you @Adnan just a comment on the tweets.

We keep being told there's so much interest. Yet look at the bylines, basically all sports journalists. Where are the business and financial correspondents writing about this? Could it be they're not willing to put their credibility on the line writing about supposed interest that, in reality, is smoke and mirrors?
The panic is real
 

Champ

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:lol: :lol:

Random twitter account drags up past misdemeanors from players who weren't even playing for Nice at the time of their misdemeanors.

This mudslinging is becoming embarrassing now.
 

Adnan

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Not directed at you @Adnan just a comment on the tweets.

We keep being told there's so much interest. Yet look at the bylines, basically all sports journalists. Where are the business and financial correspondents writing about this? Could it be they're not willing to put their credibility on the line writing about supposed interest that, in reality, is smoke and mirrors?
I think we'll here from the likes of Bloomberg once something more substantial develops.
 

Rightnr

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I expect mostly the same waffle until the bidding deadline of mid February. After that, we should get some tangible information on who's actually in the driving seat to buy United.
 

Swedish_Plumber

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What changes for us from Ratcliffes ownership of Nice should he take charge?

If he’s got history of not placing the right people in the right positions that’s a massive concern because people will be throwing themselves at him to be involved.

Can someone enlighten me of the good he’s done owning/managing the hierarchy of a sports organisation?

I know he’s a United fan but we’ve seen United fans have a negative impact on us in the media so that’s hardly an indicator for positivity, as much as we can’t go much lower than the glazers.
 
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