Cape Town - Fans of Manchester United have jokingly asked South African born billionaire Elon Musk to buy the club.
The requests come after the controversial Glazer family indicated that they are open to selling the club earlier this week. The American family’s 17-year ownership of the club has been controversial. They have been accused of putting profit before performances which has, according to many, contributed to the club’s decline in achieving silverware since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson as the club’s manager in 2013.
Under the Glazer’s, an estimated £1.6 billion is believed to have been taken out of the club. According to reports, the Glazers want £5billion or R102 billion for the club, a fee which few can afford. A new buyer may also have to accept that it may take time for them to gain a strong return on investment.
According to reliable reports from the UK, the region’s richest man Jim Ratcliffe is one who could be the next Red Devils owner. He has an estimated fortune of £12 billion and was tipped to take over Chelsea after Roman Abramovich decided to sell. The Blues were eventually taken over by American Todd Boehly.
.@elonmusk i dare you to buy @ManUtd football club ?
— Patrick (@PatrickWard_) November 23, 2022
The Glazers were criticized for not caring much about the football side of things, something that Ratcliffe appears to think about.
“I’m a lifelong Manchester United fan. I was there in 1999 for the most remarkable match of all time in Barcelona. So, you know, the club is deeply etched in my mind,” he is quoted to have said.
Pls buy @ManUtd @elonmusk worthy investment and the club needs to get back on top
— Cameron O'Hara (@_camohara) November 24, 2022
“It’s owned by the six children of the father. If it had been for sale in the summer, yes we would probably have had a go following on from the Chelsea thing. But we can’t sit around hoping one day Manchester United will become available.”
@EshlinV