Man Utd takeover bids expected next week – but Glazer family still won’t be happy

Formal bids for Manchester United are expected to be submitted in the near future, according to reports.

Offers are set to rain in from around the world for the Red Devils after the Glazer family announced they were “exploring strategic alternatives” – including a potential sale – in November. Interested parties, of which there are many, will be asked to submit their bids in the “next week or so”, according to the Mail on Sunday.

The highly unpopular Glazers are believed to be hoping for a figure in the region of £6billion, but they appear unlikely to receive that. United are valued at £3bn ($3.67bn) on the New York stock market, and a buyer would usually expect to pay around 25% more.

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That would place the value of the club at just short of £4bn, a far cry from the asking price. But that could still be reached, as football finance expert Kieran Maguire explained: “There is a vanity asset premium in relation to Manchester United which I suspect has not yet been factored in by the market.

“The Glazers are hoping for £6bn to £8bn but business fundamentals do not justify that price, especially with a substantial capital expenditure commitment [needed] for a new or enhanced Old Trafford.

“Therefore it will either be auction headiness or testosterone that results in a price of that nature, but we’ve seen that before.”

United fans – who’s your preferred bidder? Let us know in the comments section.

There’s interested parties right around the world who could drive up the price. Bidders from the US, the Middle East and Asia are expected to make their moves.

Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who publicly revealed his intentions to buy his boyhood club, is said to be the early frontrunner in the sale, which is being handled by US investment bank Raine.

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