Glazers "could sell" Man Utd as club shares plunge 23% as £600m wiped off value

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Manchester United's plummeting share price could see the Glazer family sell up after nearly £600 million was wiped off the club's value over 2021/22 season.

New data shows that United's shares have fallen by 23% this year – the biggest collapse since the club joined the New York Stock Exchange back in 2012 – and a finance expert says he thinks the Glazers could be "tempted to cash out" if the trend continues.

With Chelsea's impending £4.25 billion takeover setting a de facto market price for major European football clubs, there's belief within United that they could fetch a similar sum, despite the club's value being lower than Chelsea's.

"Manchester United's share price has fallen considerably throughout the season, plummeting 23% in total – wiping $720million (£572m) in value off their market cap," Saxo Markets sales trader Mike Owens said.

The club's value has dropped in each of the past four season since United finished second in the Premier League under Jose Mourinho in 2018, and their distinct lack of on-field success (United haven't won a trophy since 2017 and have only spent two of the past five seasons in the Champions League) has contributed to this decline.

Though this might actually be a good thing for those United fans who have been calling for a change in ownership, and is something Owens insists is a genuine possibility if nothing changes.

MAN UTD FANS – Would you be happy to spend the next five seasons out of the Champions League if it led to the Glazers selling the club? Let us know in the comments section.

"United's falling share price may make the club a more attractive proposition for a potential new buyer and this could be the catalyst to see a change of ownership at the club in the next couple of years if current owners, the Glazer family, are tempted to cash out," he said.

It's no secret that many United fans feel the Glazers have been casting an ugly shadow over Old Trafford for the past 17 years. Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, the club has lacked obvious meaningful direction and debt has been acquired.

Added to that, what fans seem to view as a focus on corporate gains over on-field success has turned them into some of the most unpopular owners in the country, as seen by recent protests both inside and outside of Old Trafford.

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