Man United new owners in-tray on and off field at Old Trafford
Sign Ten Hag’s top targets to rival City, take decisive action on £1bn Old Trafford makeover… and defy Cristiano’s criticism of the training ground! What Man United’s new owners must do as final bids are readied
- The drawn-out Manchester United takeover saga could be nearing the endgame
- Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are now preparing their final offers
- Whoever takes the reins at Old Trafford will have plenty of work ahead of them
We may finally be approaching the endgame in the battle to buy Manchester United.
Mail Sport reported on Sunday that the two bidders – Qatari sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and British petrochemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe – are finalising the details of their offers.
By the end of the week, we will hopefully know which is the preferred choice ahead of the sale of the Old Trafford club being completed.
Sheikh Jassim’s dramatic submission of an improved offer – believed to be around the £5billion mark with the promise of an additional £1bn investment for total control of the club – last week has blown the race wide open again.
The offer from Ratcliffe and Ineos is for around 60 per cent of the club and proposes that the Glazer family, the current owners, remain for a certain period of time before their stake can be bought out.
The battle to take ownership of Man United could be nearing its endgame as the two bidders prepare their final offers ahead of an expected decision on the preferred choice this week
The Qatari bid, led by Sheikh Jassim, is believed to be around £5bn plus £1bn investment
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid appeared to have edged ahead in the race to take over at Man United
United co-owner Avram Glazer was at Wembley last weekend to watch the FA Cup final
The Glazers are unpopular with large sections of United’s support, but the fanbase is divided on who should take control. There has certainly been frustration at the slow pace of the sale process.
But whoever takes over, urgent investment is required both on and off the pitch if United are to keep pace with their rivals in the Premier League and across Europe. Mail Sport takes a look at what any incoming owners must prioritise at Old Trafford.
New signings to make Ten Hag’s squad truly competitive
This takeover saga has been dragged on now since November, when the Glazer family began its search for ‘strategic alternatives’ for United.
That announcement, which didn’t say the Americans would definitely sell up and leave, came on the same day Cristiano Ronaldo left the club by mutual consent.
An awful lot has happened on the pitch since his departure but the lack of resolution over the takeover is hindering preparations for next season.
Manager Erik ten Hag would have wanted his transfer targets lined up and assurances about a budget before the conclusion of 2022-23 but this ongoing uncertainty is a fly in the ointment.
Ten Hag enjoyed a pretty positive first season in charge – United finished third in the league and qualified for the Champions League, won the Carabao Cup to end a six-year trophy wait, and reached the FA Cup final.
The restless Erik ten Hag will want United to kick on following their progress in 2022-2023
Things have been pretty positive since Ten Hag took over after years of drift and wastage
But the impatient Ten Hag will now want to push forward and if the spectacle of bitter rivals Manchester City winning a Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League doesn’t sharpen focus at Old Trafford, nothing will.
Ten Hag has confidence he can elevate United to City’s standard but it won’t happen without a substantial injection of cash for new and world class signings.
City have spent in excess of £1billion on players since Pep Guardiola became their manager in 2016 but they are far from alone in lavish outlay among their Premier League rivals.
While City acquired world class stars to strengthen perceived weaknesses in their side, United have been guilty of squandering big sums on the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.
Ten Hag, Richard Arnold and John Murtough have improved this with last summer’s signings on the whole performing very well.
This time United need a proven centre forward to boost their goal return and another midfielder as priorities. Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen and Rasmus Hojlund have been linked for the former position, with Mason Mount and Declan Rice midfield options.
Harry Kane would be a strong choice for a new striker but would cost at least £100million
United are in the market for both Mason Mount (left) and Declan Rice (right) this summer
Nobody is going to come cheap. Kane will cost £100million and news of Real Madrid’s interest isn’t good for United given Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s reluctance to sell him to a domestic rival.
United have made an opening offer of £55m for Mount but Chelsea value the England international at closer to £85m.
Rice is going to cost at least £90m and Arsenal are in the box seat to sign the West Ham star.
Financial Fair Play considerations mean United will have to sell a few players and even if the takeover was finalised overnight, they couldn’t just go out and buy whoever they wanted.
Both Qatar and Ratcliffe would surely want to announce their arrival with a big-name signing or two, though United don’t want to repeat what Todd Boehly did at Chelsea and make the team worse.
The good news is Ten Hag is a man who knows what he wants and can be trusted to take United to the next level – if the right deals are done in good time. That should be the new owner’s top priority.
Managing expectations
If it’s Qatar, with their promise to clear the debt left by the Glazers and plough £1bn into the club, then managing the expectations of United’s fans would become pretty important.
United ended their six-year wait for a trophy when they beat Newcastle to win the Carabao Cup
United’s defeat by Manchester City in the FA cup final showed the gulf between the two rivals
There would be many expecting United under Qatari ownership to go toe-to-toe with Abu-Dhabi-controlled City, and Saudi-backed Newcastle, practically overnight.
But United will only compete for the Premier League and the Champions League again with the right signings and a bit of patience.
The FA Cup final proved they remain some way shy of City’s class and the season just passed witnessed a 6-3 loss at the Etihad, a 7-0 drubbing by Liverpool and a tame Europa League exit to Sevilla.
It took City three seasons under Abu Dhabi ownership to win a trophy, four seasons to win the league and it’s taken 12 stabs at the Champions League to get the biggest prize.
A decade of drift and decline since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 leaves United needing to be gradually built back up, with the right recruitment and mentality.
The glory days are not simply going to return overnight.
Redeveloping Old Trafford
Old Trafford, with its capacity of 74,310, is the largest club football stadium in the UK and necessary for the number of people who want to watch United in action.
However, the Theatre of Dreams is losing its lustre and the need for upgrades and redevelopment long pre-dates this latest ownership saga.
Old Trafford is a stunning stadium but is in need of considerable investment in the near-future
United fans protest against the club’s current owners, the Glazer family, at Old Trafford
Back in January, Mail Sport revealed United had been presented with a series of stadium expansion options – including the possibility of knocking Old Trafford down and starting again.
An upgrade to the current site, the club’s home since 1910, would be over £1bn and building a new stadium on adjacent ground would be £2bn.
So it’s something United’s future ownership – whoever they are – will have to confront sooner or later. No wonder the Qataris are promising a billion of investment – it is needed.
Going to Old Trafford remains an exciting experience for United fans but a lack of space and investment means better facilities are increasingly seen elsewhere.
We’re in an age when fans want more on their matchday than just 90 minutes of football. They want an excellent choice of food and drink, they want off-pitch entertainment and even a bit of luxury hospitality.
Old Trafford has been surpassed by the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates and City’s Etihad for the matchday experience – and ultimately it will cost them in revenue.
Tottenham’s state-of-the-art stadium has raised the bar for design and amenities in the UK
It obviously isn’t a cheap project – whether it’s modernising what’s currently there or starting afresh. The former option could mean a reduced capacity or even the prospect of ground-sharing.
But if United want to retain their high status in the football rich lists, the new owners will need to seriously invest in the infrastructure in the short to medium-term.
Upgrades to Carrington
Ronaldo wasn’t very impressed by United’s training facilities at Carrington when he returned in 2021 after 12 years away.
‘Nothing changed, surprisingly. Not only the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym. They stopped in time. It surprised me a lot,’ he told Piers Morgan in his now infamous interview.
‘I thought I would see other things, technologies and infrastructure. Unfortunately, we see a lot of what I used to see at 21, 22 and 23 years old.
‘Since Ferguson left, I haven’t seen an evolution at the club. Progress is zero. You have to tear it down and rebuild it.’
Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t too impressed by the lack of change in United’s training ground
United have invested money into their Carrington training complex amid the criticism
Ronaldo obviously had an axe to grind and United have actually spent significant sums of money improving the swimming pool, gym and cafeteria.
A lot more work has been ongoing this season to build a base for the women’s team and the academy, which is a forward-thinking move.
Again though, it’s a case of United no longer being at the cutting edge and what they have looking inferior to what their rivals have.
Across town, City have spent £200million on their state-of-the-art Etihad Campus near to their main stadium.
It boasts 16 pitches for their various teams to practise on, indoor training areas, overnight accommodation, TV auditorium for their analysts and modern media facilities.
Journalists attend a Pep Guardiola press conference at City’s modern Etihad Campus
Liverpool moved to a new £50m training ground in recent years too.
So there is clearly some catching up for United to do and yet more investment required.
Taking the women’s team to the next level
Re-formed only five years ago, United’s women’s team have taken impressive strides and have just enjoyed their most successful season yet.
They missed out on the Women’s Super League title by just two points, but made the Champions League for the first time, and reached their maiden Women’s FA Cup final.
Chelsea beat them in both competitions, however, and continue to set the benchmark in the English game.
Manchester United’s women’s team has made great progress even if silverware eluded them
A healthy crowd of over 30,000 watches Manchester United’s women’s side at Old Trafford
In order to overhaul them, the new United owners will need to boost the playing budget and ensure equality of training facilities.
The fanbase is certainly growing but a move from Leigh Sports Village to somewhere with better transport links would have to be considered.
In an ideal world, the women’s team would have their own arena close to Old Trafford, while using the main ground for marquee fixtures.
Their home game with Aston Villa at Old Trafford last December drew a crowd of over 30,000.
Whoever takes over will need to act holistically for the good of the whole club.
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