The Glazers will remain majority owners of Manchester United but will relinquish control of football operations, according to reports.
For almost a year, Manchester United fans have wondered what exactly the Glazers are playing at.
After spending months inviting takeover offers for the club, they have eventually settled on a minority stake sale.
It’s a disappointing outcome for Manchester United fans, who hoped the Glazers would be gone for good.
But as part of their agreement with new minority investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe, they are about to announce their intentions to the whole world.
The Glazers want to own a club, happy not to run it
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has one condition per his investment after decreasing his preferred holding stake to just 25 per cent.
The Telegraph report he wants full sporting control of Manchester United, and intends to take a proactive approach.
The Glazers appear content to allow Ratcliffe to take control. Which says everything.
Glazers just want to make money
The agreement makes for a totally bizarre set up.
Manchester United are a Football Club which will have majority owners, who will not have control over the team’s football affairs. And are quite happy not to.
This says everything about their own disinterest in the football affairs at the club.
The Glazer family took control of Manchester United as an investment, and a revenue stream, demonstrated by the millions paid out each year in dividends.
Manchester United fans have known this for a long while. But there has always been a pretence from the Glazers that they do care about on-pitch matters.
Relinquishing control to Ratcliffe clearly indicates their true intentions, making it crystal clear their priorities owning the club are little to do with football itself.
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