Renewed Reports of Man Utd Sale to Qatar Holdings

February 11, 2011

Renewed speculation arose today that the Glazer family is reportedly on the brink of selling Manchester United to Qatar Holdings for £1.6bn (US$2.56bn).

UK newspaper, sale The Daily Express claimed that a deal was “virtually done” and that the two sides are “only haggling over details”.

If the figure touted is accurate then any sale of the club by the controversial American owners would represent double the money that Malcolm Glazer and his family spent, stuff in the six years since they paid £790m ($1.26bn) for the club in the summer of 2005.

United has consistently denied it is interested in selling the club since Qatar Holdings, discount the business investment branch of the Qatar Royal family, was first seriously linked with a bid just before Christmas. According to sources of the newspaper, the Qataris have agreed to add another $160m on to their initial $2.4bn offer.

United’s director of communications Phil Townsend, who now also acts as Glazer family spokesman, maintained: “There has been no approach to buy Manchester United and no approach would be welcome.”