Dr Dan: £7.4m Man United development is early sign of Glazers ‘exit strategy’
The Glazers may be offering Man United fans the opportunity to buy shares in the club as part of their long-term exit strategy.
So says finance expert and new Football Insider columnist Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively about the latest update from Old Trafford.
United’s communications department released a statement on the progress of the fan’ shares scheme on 15 November.
The club is offering £7.4million worth of B shares, which carry greater voting rights than the shares sold on the New York Stock Exchange.
The B shares on offer, however, still only equate to 0.5 per cent of the voting rights compared to the Glazers’ mammoth 95 per cent.
Plumley claims the share offering is a token gesture but one that may signal the beginning of the end for the Glazers’ two-decade premiership.
The Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams: “I think we are continuing to see some of the fallout here from the Super League.
“The owners didn’t bank on the fan uproar. The signings they made over the summer have been testament to that too.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was a fantastic signing for the club, but it was a very good PR exercise too. This is another instance of that. ‘
“It is great in many ways that you’re offering fans a say in the way the club is run. But the actual ability to enact change is quite low.
“It’s a nice touch and a way to appease the fans. It does show some progress in that relationship because the Glazers have always been a bit stand-offish.
“The sentiment is there but they aren’t going to be able to change anything.
“You could look to the future and say this is a long-term exit strategy for the Glazers. However, that is speculation at this point.”
In other news, pundit suggests Tottenham could sign Man United star Dean Henderson after Telegraph update.