Edward Glazer, one of the five siblings who hold a controlling stake in Manchester United, has shed light on how the family reaches consensus on pivotal decisions concerning the football club. Despite enduring robust criticism from fans over the millions of dollars of debt accrued since their takeover in 2005, the Glazer family has maintained a majority stake in the club.
In 2024, British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe finalised a deal to purchase a 27.7 per cent stake in the club, valued at approximately $1.6billion (£1.25bn). As part of the agreement, Ratcliffe has assumed control of football operations, assisted by Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada.
Earlier this season, speculation about a potential takeover was rife when Turki Al-Sheikh posted on social media that the Red Devils were in ‘advanced negotiations with a new investor’. On X, Al-Sheikh wrote: “The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor… I hope he’s better than the previous owners.”
He followed this up with: “My (yesterday’s) post about Manchester United’s potential sale meant one thing, the club is in an advanced negotiation phase with a new investor.”
“Just to clarify, I’m not the investor, nor are they from my nation. I’m posting this as a fan who wishes the deal to happen, though it might not necessarily happen.”
Speculation continues to swirl around a potential full takeover at Old Trafford, although no formal discussions have taken place. In April, Edward Glazer, the youngest of the Glazer siblings, was questioned about their decision-making process within the football club.
When asked about the rationale behind their decision to sell a quarter of United to Ratcliffe, he told students at the Kogod School of Business in Washington: “I think that… We’re a family business, and it was really a decision we made collectively.
“Not every decision is six-nothing. But, ultimately, why we have been successful as a family business is that we’ve always kind of agreed that, if the majority of family members want to do something, we realise we are in a family business and we have to do it.
“One day it might be something that I’m in favour of. The next day, it may be something I’m not in favour. It was a family decision [the minority takeover].”