Man Utd and Liverpool takeovers have ‘significant differences,’ says former owner

Fans of Manchester United have cheered the news that the club’s 17-year-long owners, the Glazer family, are willing to sell the club. Man Utd and Liverpool takeovers have ‘significant differences,’ says former owner However, United are not the only famous English team up for sale; Liverpool’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group, are looking to unload some or all of their shares in the six-time European winners.

AFP Sport investigates the circumstances that have led to the selling of England’s two most successful football clubs. 0–0 draw in the Super League The failed plan by the Glazers and FSG to create a separate European Super League in 2021 quickly imploded under the weight of a backlash from fans, governing bodies, and politicians.

Rather than having promotion and relegation and having to qualify every year as they do for the Champions League now, a group of 12 top European teams wanted to construct a closed league model typical in US sport. It was hoped that teams would become much more profitable by increasing the number of guaranteed games against top-level opponents while still keeping costs low.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus are now litigating the Super League. Given the continued resistance in England, any Premier League owner considering taking this step would be making a big political misstep. Danger from Newcastle Without a Super League, United and Liverpool rely much more on Champions League money.

Nonetheless, Newcastle’s growth under the ownership of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund poses a growing challenge to their position at the pinnacle of European sport. Neither United nor Liverpool are among the Premier League’s top four teams when the league takes a break for the World Cup.

It’s just been a little over a year since the club’s last relegation, yet Newcastle is currently in third place. Both teams have felt the sting of state cash in the past decade, as Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City has surpassed its longtime rivals to become England’s undisputed football powerhouse.

United missed the Champions League for the fourth time in the last decade. Coach Jurgen Klopp has turned around Liverpool’s fortunes to keep the Reds in the competition for a sixth straight season. But before that streak, Liverpool had only made it to the Champions League once in seven attempts.

The Cost of Chelsea Chelsea sold in May for a record-breaking £2.5 billion ($3 billion), despite a fire sale precipitated by penalties on Roman Abramovich for his links to the Kremlin. The fact that United’s owners have chosen Raine, the same bank employed in the Chelsea sale, to spearhead their search for new financing is illuminating.

Despite playing in the north-west of England rather than London’s Blues, United and Liverpool could command a greater premium thanks to their more illustrious past and wider global fans. The Glazers’ leveraged acquisition of United cost them $790 million, but analysts predict they may sell the club for as much as £5 billion.

To put FSG’s 2010 purchase of Liverpool in perspective, that price tag was $300 million. Economics are in a constant state of flux. Rising interest rates, implemented to slow inflation around the world, have made servicing debt a significant challenge. In the 2021/22 season, United’s net borrowings increased to £515 million.

It was clear from the Glazers’ remark that they were serious about raising funds that they knew Old Trafford needed significant investment to bring it up to modern standards. During FSG’s leadership, Liverpool has undergone two stadium expansions, the most recent being the £80 million renovation of the Anfield Road Stand.

Liverpool’s ageing roster has seen a drastic decline in performance this season, and fans have demanded the club invest in fresh players. The Glazers and FSG appear to have decided to cash out of English football, as borrowing is far more expensive than it has been for most of their tenure there.