The Glazer family may sell Manchester United once the club completes construction of its new stadium or if Manchester City are removed from the Premier League, according to reports. The unpopular owners have also reportedly grown frustrated by Ineos' decision-making on and off the pitch.
Two potential triggers for a sale
United's sackings of Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim are understood to have cost close to £25m, while it has also been reported the Glazers were unhappy with the manner in which the club cut 500 jobs. Reports have claimed Joel Glazer in particular was angry at how so many staff were made redundant by Ratcliffe and co.
Nevertheless, there is no sign the Glazers are going to sell the club any time soon, due to a purported lack of market interest. However, two outcomes which may persuade them to sell have seemingly emerged.
Stadium and City expulsion could raise value
According to ESPN, the Glazers may decide to sell United when the new Old Trafford is completed or if City are expelled from the Premier League. The latter remains a possibility after City were found guilty of all of the financial related charges levelled against them by the Premier League.
The range of punishments which could be handed to City are vast. A relegation guaranteeing points penalty, which would also be big enough to keep them in the Championship for at least a season, is a possibility. However, it is currently unknown as to when the punishment will be handed to them, particularly after the club appealed against the judgement.
Nevertheless, both outcomes would raise the financial value of United significantly. A new stadium would increase the price the Glazers could sell the club at, while the idea of buying a team that no longer has a local rival like Manchester City in its vicinity would also make United more attractive to potential buyers.
Frustration with Ineos leadership
Overall, the Glazers have so far been frustrated by the direction of the club ever since they decided to hand over control to minority owner Ratcliffe and his Ineos team.
It is understood a source close to the Glazer family also told ESPN: "The fans were all singing about the Glazers, but I'm not sure they realise how bad Jim is. He couldn't have masterminded a worse situation. He's downgraded in all departments. It's basically the opposite of what he said his strategy is."
Hundreds of millions have been spent on new signings, many of which have failed to impress at the club. One costly decision was the call to hand Ten Hag a contract extension in June 2024, only to sack him four months later.
Sacking Amorim also left the club facing a compensation bill of £16.7m, which was then reduced to £8.2m after the Portuguese manager was hired by AC Milan. Since Ratcliffe took over, United have won the FA Cup under Ten Hag and reached the Europa League final under Amorim, but results on the pitch have largely not been up to standard.
It looked promising when Michael Carrick dragged United up to third in the table last season, but his poor start to the new campaign has left United on the brink of a relegation battle.
