MY ACCOUNT
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust has expressed concerns around the two public bids for Manchester United and wants prospective new owners to “explicitly commit to backing” Erik ten Hag.
A ‘soft’ deadline for bids for United passed this week, with Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS and a Qatari group fronted by banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Al Thani announcing they had made offers.
However, MUST identified issues with both bidders in a statement released ahead of kick-off in Sunday’s match against Leicester City.
Ligue 1 clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Nice are respectively owned by Qatar Sports Investments and INEOS, causing potential issues if United were entered into the same European competition as the pair. MUST noted “questions about sporting integrity”.
It added there were also “questions about whether any bids will also be based on high levels of debt”. The takeover by the Glazer family put United into debt for the first time since the 1930s, with that debt reaching £514.9million in their most recent accounts.
Apparently in relation to concerns around Qatar’s human rights record, the statement continued: “We also note the importance that any owner respects the rights of all people, particularly women and the LGBTQ+ community.”
MUST added: “We urge all bidders to open a dialogue with fans groups alongside the bidding process with the club, in order to discuss their proposals including the above issues.”
Neither the INEOS nor the Qatari bid referenced manager Ten Hag, impressing in his first season at Old Trafford, and this was the final point made by MUST.
“Everyone can see the progress the team is making under Erik Ten Hag,” MUST said. “After the frustrations of the last decade, it is clear that enormous strides are being taken.
“Any prospective bidder needs to explicitly commit to backing Erik and his plans to restore United to glory.”
