According to recent reports, Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk is currently monitoring Manchester United’s sale and could make a move to buy the club.
Reports suggest that Musk who is an ardent supporter of Manchester United doesn’t want to miss out on a potential opportunity to invest in one of the biggest football clubs in the world.
Musk last year tweeted about his interest in purchasing the club when it was faced with a crisis until he later debunked the news stating that it was a joke.
Still, even after dismissing the prospect of riding in to save United, Musk has left the possibility dangling that he might make a bid for the Old Trafford boardroom one day by revealing his childhood fandom of the club.
The English Premier League club has been put up for full sale after American family (Glazers), are reportedly ready to sell their full stake in the club amid sustained fan discontent.
The Glazers asking price is understood to be around the £8 billion ($9.8 billion) mark and have set a soft deadline for prospective bids to be made latest this Friday.
English billionaire and Chief Executive Officer of INEOS chemicals group Sir James Arthur Ratcliffe is reportedly the only person to publicly declare interest in buying the club.
Ratcliffe is reported to have supported united as a boy and is understood to remain a fan, hence making it no secret that he would be interested in buying the Old Trafford club.
It is interesting to note that he was among bidders for Chelsea football club when the former owner Roman Abramovich put it up for sale following controversies during the Russian-Ukraine war, but his offer of £4.25bn was rejected.
Also, there have been other expressions of interest, from several U.S investors, and Qatar-based groups, with Saudi and other money from the Middle East, understood to be focused on the club.
Investors King understands that Manchester United was put up for sale last year when the Glazers, who have been at the helm of affairs for 17 years, ordered a strategic review.
Their tenure proved controversial with fans from the off because of the level of debt they placed on the club’s books, a burden which many argue has hampered investment in the team, stadium, and wider facilities ever since.
It was reported that the sale of Manchester United was necessitated after the club’s icon and five times Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo called out the owners on the poor management of the club facilities amid other things.
Ronaldo in an interview with British veteran journalist, Piers Morgan called out the owners over poor handling which he believes had a negative impact on the club’s performance.
He said “The Glazers, they don’t care about the club. I mean, professional sport, as you know, Manchester is a marketing club.”
