A new report has claimed that there is potentially 'worrying' news for Manchester United supporters regarding the sale of the club.
Back in November, United's owners - the Glazer family - announced they were exploring 'strategic alternatives' for the Premier League club, including a full or partial sale.
A 'soft deadline' for offers has reportedly been set for next Sunday (February 19) and the Daily Mail claim that five 'serious' bidders are still in play.
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These include boyhood fan and Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe and US-based investors, as well as interested parties in Qatar and Saudi Arabia - with the latter still deciding whether to make a formal offer.
Qatari investors are reportedly confident that the size of their bid will be able to fend off other competitors, although a stumbling block is the Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) ownership of PSG. UEFA rules state that two clubs owned by the same entity cannot play in the same UEFA-affiliated competition.
However, a new report on the bidding process claims there is potentially 'worrying' news for Man Utd fans.
Journalist reveals 'worrying' Man Utd news
According to i journalist Pete Hall, several trading insiders have told the same news outlet that there is talk of Joel and Avram Glazer remaining at Old Trafford.
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It is claimed that this could be 'as part of a consortium of buyers', or they could buy out the rest of the Glazer family, who own equal shares in United. It has been suggested that the other four siblings are disinterested in the club because of the supporters' anti-Glazer stance.
Furthermore, the same report suggests that the Glazers are under no pressure to sell, and could decide to remain in their positions if their reported $10 billion asking price isn't met. Previous reports claimed the club's success under Erik ten Hag has caused some of the Glazers to reconsider their positions, with any achievements potentially allowing the asking price to increase.
The news will come as concern to a majority of United supporters, who have been highly critical of the Glazer ownership since they took full control of the club back in 2005.
Communication between the family and supporters has been rare over recent years, although The Athletic claimed that Joel held a four-hour Zoom call with the club's fan advisory board in October - the third he has held since the Super League collapsed in April 2021.
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It was reported that he was asked why the club paid out £33.6 million of dividends last summer to those carrying stock in the club, including the Glazers, despite United's worst ever season in the Premier League era.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Premier League, Qatar, Saudi Arabia