Who you REALLY want for new owner?

Dazzmondo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2013
Messages
8,994
Meh, billionaires are nearly all evil cnuts. Choosing on "moral" grounds is pretty naive imo. Whoever looks after the club's best interests.
 

Scandi Red

Hates Music.
Joined
Sep 25, 2022
Messages
4,472
I have no idea who can afford us, but if we become a sports washing operation ala City and PSG then I'm probably done with supporting United "actively". I've come to terms with football being a filthy capitalist sport, but that is where I draw the line.

I just assume that all billionaires are cnuts so I don't have any strong preferences when it comes to who we get. I just hope that they actually care about results and aren't complete clowns. Old money or a nouveau riche who acts like old money would be to prefer I guess. Definitely not someone like Musk.
 

Valencia Shin Crosses

Full Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Messages
6,503
Location
"Martial...He's isolated Skrtel here..."
Can Ratcliffe compete with the near unlimited budget of the Saudi's and Qataris? Almost billionnaires or a group of them that will rely on the team to make them money will make us cash poor. I do not want an oil company owning us, but it has to be a person or entity that can buy United and not be burdened by it.
Don’t really need to. The difference between us and City is that we can still spend big through our own revenue, while they need a sugar daddy.

Basically we need an owner to clear the debt, and spend money on infrastructure without sucking money from the club.
 

redcucumber

Full Member
Joined
May 18, 2022
Messages
3,166
Meh, billionaires are nearly all evil cnuts. Choosing on "moral" grounds is pretty naive imo. Whoever looks after the club's best interests.
There's definitely a spectrum. Musk is completely insane, inflammatory and you'd genuinely fear we might cease to exist at some point under his ownership. An oil state likely has fairly direct involvement in the worst crimes possible (Bin Salman). A rich fella like Ratcliffe or Steve Ballmer (as mentioned in this thread) both seem fairly middle of the road in comparison.
 

Stack

Leave Women's Football Alone!!!
Joined
Sep 6, 2006
Messages
13,288
Location
Auckland New Zealand
An owner who will bring Old Trafford back up to being in world class condition. An owner with that as a priority will most likely also be interested in fixing problems around the clubs structure and planning.
 

Rightnr

Wants players fined for winning away.
Joined
Jan 25, 2015
Messages
13,881
There's no saint among any of these, so I'd go with a Todd Boehly type of American billionaire with a good track record in one or more American sport e.g. Balmer (though not sure how well his teams have done).

This is because I think Ratcliffe is out but he's our best option otherwise.
 

red thru&thru

Full Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2004
Messages
7,657
Whoever it will be, it won't be satisfactory for 100% of the fans.

We've just got to hope it's someone who will invest into the future of the club, like City have.
 

Dazzmondo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2013
Messages
8,994
There's definitely a spectrum. Musk is completely insane, inflammatory and you'd genuinely fear we might cease to exist at some point under his ownership. An oil state likely has fairly direct involvement in the worst crimes possible (Bin Salman). A rich fella like Ratcliffe or Steve Ballmer (as mentioned in this thread) both seem fairly middle of the road in comparison.
Honestly, these people have enough money to clean up whatever they want. I've no doubt they wouldn't be against either directly or indirectly taking lives if it served their own interests. I don't think we've any way of really knowing what each of them has and hasn't done because many of their worst deeds will undoubtedly have been suppressed.
 

Jacob

Full Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Messages
25,574
I'd take Arab money. If you can't beat them, join them.
 

Bebe

Full Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
5,557
Location
The true north.
In all seriousness, I'd pick from the given options in this order:

Ratcliffe
Musk
Random US billionaires
Oil state

Feck the oil money, gimme that sweet, sweet narcotics money!!!
El Chapo Guzman and the Sinaloa Cartel.
Best suggestion thus far
 

DevilRed

Full Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2011
Messages
12,908
Location
Stretford End
The only investors/owners that could realistically buy us outright are the oil countries and a consortium of investors (likely American backed by PE funds).
 

2mufc0

Everything is fair game in capitalism!
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
Messages
16,992
Supports
Dragon of Dojima
Anyone that will invest in the club and its infrastructure like it should be and without putting the club into debt again. Options are severely limited due to the value of the club though.
 

Lay

Correctly predicted Italy to win Euro 2020
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
19,790
Location
England
Ideally, an Indian billionaire. In addition to the vast wealth, such an owner brings the world’s largest population to the forefront and increases the value of the commercial aspect of the team…something the Glaziers actually did well.
The Venkys! :drool:
 

Glorio

Full Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2020
Messages
4,492
Ronaldo to buy the club, sack the board, sack ETH, sell Maguire, make himself player-captain-coach, bring in Ole as his assistant, Keano and Rio as coaching staff, send Bruno to the reserves and make him travel there by boat, rename the club Ronaldo FC, hire Rangnick and then sack him for the fun of it, anoint himself as the club's highest goal scorer just because, merge the trinity statues into one giant Cristiano one.
 

Boondog

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2022
Messages
699
I want an owner City and Newcastle will fear. Someone with insanely deep pockets who is a favorite to lock up any top talent that hits the market. Don't care about nationality or any of that nonsense the populist muppets are sweating. Filthy rich.
 

TheGodsInRed

Full Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2010
Messages
1,485
Location
Up North
Meh, billionaires are nearly all evil cnuts. Choosing on "moral" grounds is pretty naive imo. Whoever looks after the club's best interests.
None are perfect, but there is a big difference between a greedy businessman and a murderous regime like the Newcastle owners.
 

Valencia Shin Crosses

Full Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Messages
6,503
Location
"Martial...He's isolated Skrtel here..."
Meh, billionaires are nearly all evil cnuts. Choosing on "moral" grounds is pretty naive imo. Whoever looks after the club's best interests.
This. I literally don’t give a shit as long as they run the club properly like it deserves to be run

If anyone wants to boycott certain owners because of their own moral code, then more power to you. But it’s not a realistic stance to take, and I’d rather just have my club I support run well than give a shit whether the owner did some shady shit to amass a fortune 20 years ago.
 

Abraxas

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
6,023
Hard to say. What do we really know about how these guys will run the club? Next to nothing. That aspect is always a lottery.

You can guarantee a few have skeletons in their closet somewhere even if they seem the most preferable on paper so it's not like we know how kind, thoughtful and understanding they all are.

Ratcliffe seems the nicest fit, but I say that in the knowledge that I don't really know much about the guy except a few interview snippets and quotes which he comes into with an agenda. Not enough to say he's a great chap.
 

bringbackbebe

Full Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2021
Messages
1,651
Donald Trump

On a serious note, talks with some party (parties) must be at an advanced stage for Glazers to come out publicly.
 

gregwar

Full Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2009
Messages
3,282
Are we in a position to be picky?

Glazers won't last long with the increase in interest rates - their business model is f**ked.
 

TheRedHearted

Full Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2016
Messages
2,635
Location
New York, NY
There are no altruistic billionaires

I just want someone who runs the club properly of we do that we almost do not need investment like most other clubs.

It'd be nice if it's Jim Ratcliffe but if it's not him the above is all I really care about.

I am not sure I can accept oil money unless its Canadian
What about a company buying it? Apple is worth 2 trillion.. is this illegal in the premier league? Isn’t city owned by a “investment group”
 

RedRonaldo

Wishes to be oppressed.
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Messages
18,996
Ronaldo, so we can have full upgrade on training facilities :drool:
 

babablue

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
207
Oil money. Preferably Dubai or Oman. History remembers titles, not owners.
 

BaneIsPain

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Messages
551
Location
Cave
Oman, UAE, Kuwait or any other oil money. As long as no interference, more smart investment, I'm all for it.
 

NewGlory

United make me feel dirty. And not in a sexy way.
Joined
Jul 13, 2019
Messages
4,240
Jim Ratcliffe, definitely #1 choice. He is a fan and he understands football, and he is neither money-obsessed businessman, nor a blood-oil sheikh, nor an immoral idiot and liar who can only succeed in businesses that are heavily subsidized by government, nor a murderous Russian oligarch.
 
Last edited: