MX23RW : Friday, November 8 00:52:57| >> :60:610:610:

Apple 'interested in £5.8bn Manchester United takeover'

Apple 'interested in £5.8bn Manchester United takeover'
© Reuters
Apple are interested in buying Manchester United in a deal that could be worth £5.8bn, according to a report.

Apple are reportedly interested in purchasing Manchester United in a deal that could be worth £5.8bn.

The English club's current owners, the Glazer family, released a statement earlier this week confirming that they were open to a sale.

According to the Daily Star, the Glazers will spend the next month talking to interested parties, with British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe said to be in the running to purchase the club.

Meanwhile, Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega is also said to be showing an interest in the 20-time English champions, who have struggled to compete for major trophies since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013.

Apple, who are the latest tech company in the world, have an annual revenue of close to £326bn, while their net worth is said to be £2tn.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co-owners Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer in April 2019© Reuters

The report claims that Apple CEO Tim Cook will line up talks with the banks appointed to oversee the sale, with the company seriously considering making a bid.

Apple would allegedly be willing to invest in a new state-of-the-art stadium, with Old Trafford falling behind a number of other grounds in the Premier League when it comes to facilities.

The Glazers were initially said to be looking for around £8bn to sell the club but have since dropped their price to between £5bn and £6bn.

Any deal involving Apple would reportedly make Man United the richest club in the world ahead of the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain.

Manchester United players celebrate Christian Eriksen's goal against Fulham on November 13, 2022© Reuters

"Manchester United plc, one of the most successful and historic sports clubs in the world, announces today that the company's board of directors (the "board") is commencing a process to explore strategic alternatives for the club," read a statement from the Glazers on Man United's official website.

"The process is designed to enhance the club's future growth, with the ultimate goal of positioning the club to capitalize on opportunities both on the pitch and commercially.

"As part of this process, the board will consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company.

"This will include an assessment of several initiatives to strengthen the club, including stadium and infrastructure redevelopment, and expansion of the club's commercial operations on a global scale, each in the context of enhancing the long-term success of the club's men's, women's and academy teams, and bringing benefits to fans and other stakeholders."

Man United have won England's top flight on 20 occasions, which is a record, while they have lifted the FA Cup on 12 occasions and the European Cup three times.

ID:500507:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4601:

Manchester United takeover - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Jim Ratcliffe

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
A downbeat Cristiano Ronaldo on August 13, 2022
Read Next:
Ronaldo: 'Man United have fallen behind other top clubs in the world'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Bengals
@
Ravens
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!