Filed under: Manchester United, Premier League, Football
This could be music to the ears of so many Manchester United supporters - the Glazer family may be preparing to relinquish sole ownership of the club.So, could this be the beginning of the end to their stint at Old Trafford?
Reports claim the club's much-maligned American owners are close to launching a £600 million partial flotation of the club on the Singapore stock market.
The decision to launch in in the Far East could see the Premier League champions being 70 to 75 per cent owned by Americans - and 25 to 30 per cent by Asians.
And while it appears that the Florida-based family aren't keen on a takeover bid just yet, the sale of a minority stake in the club is an indication that their controversial six-year tenure could soon be over.
Manchester United have been owned outright by the Glazers since May 2005 and hostility has remained high ever since.
A green-and-gold campaign against the owners, following the re-financing of the club's debt through a bond issue, prompted further calls for the Glazers to quit for good.
However, according to the Independent, the priority for the owners at the moment is to ease the club's debt, believed to be £500 million, rather than anything else.
Not that Sir Alex Ferguson hasn't been short of support from the boardroom this summer, having spent in excess of £50 million on bolstering his squad on the likes of Ashley Young, David De Gea and Phil Jones.
But a statement released by the Manchester United Supporters' Trust said: "Until we have more details we can't give a full response.
"But what we do know is we want to communicate with as many Manchester United supporters as possible and make sure every supporter has the chance to share in ownership when the opportunity arises.
"It is quite possible that shares will not be available to ordinary supporters and that MUST will have to provide a mechanism for supporters to buy shares.
"This could be the beginning of the end of the Glazers' reign and the first step towards a bright new future for Manchester United FC under the shared ownership of people who care about our football club above all else."
Manchester United, one of the world's most recognisable and valuable clubs, have long been linked with takeovers.
The Glazers, who rarely attend matches, were believed to have rejected a £1.5 billion offer from the Middle East two years ago while a public statement issued earlier this year distanced the Qatari royal family from a buy-out.
An attempt by the supporter-backed Red Knights also failed to lead to a bid for the club last year.
But despite there being some way to go before the Glazers sell up, this is perhaps the first sign they are planning to cut their ties down the road - and elements of disgruntled Manchester United fans may be about to get their way after all.
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