Stefan Borson drops ‘huge’ verdict after Man United takeover claim emerges
Manchester United have been the subject of takeover speculation over the past few days following a new claim from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi sports chief Turki Al-Sheikh revealed on 8 October Man United are in an advanced stage of completing a sale to a new investor, adding he hope’s they are “better than the previous owners”.
However, Al-Sheikh later confirmed the potential Man United investor isn’t from Saudi following the reaction to his initial post.
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider his thoughts on the possibility of a takeover process running in the background at Old Trafford.
Stefan Borson reacts to Man United takeover ‘rumours’
Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a 27.7 per cent stake in Man United in February 2024 after agreeing a £1.25billion deal with the Glazers, valuing the club at close to £5bn.
However, the Glazers’s drag-along rights in Man United came into effect in August, 18 months after their deal with Ratcliffe was agreed.
It gives the American family the power to sell their stake and also force Ratcliffe into a sale in a full takeover of the club.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Al-Sheikh’s claim, Borson said: “I think it’s pretty unlikely, to be honest with you.
“For there to be a serious process running in the background right now at a valuation that is attractive seems to me to be pretty unlikely. It’s not impossible, but it’s pretty unlikely. I mean, he is a well-connected guy.
“But look, in football there’s a lot of rumours, counter rumours and things people hear that are just not right. There’s a lot of people sort of spouting nonsense, and you have to sort of sensor check with logic. I think it’s unlikely, but I might be embarrassed by that view very quickly.”
Ratcliffe was previously selected as the preferred bidder to invest in Man United ahead of Sheikh Jassim, who wanted to secure a full takeover but failed to provide proof of funds.
Ratcliffe has increased his stake in Man United to 28.9 per cent after injecting around £240million since initially investing in the club.
Meanwhile, the Glazers, who bought a 98 per cent stake at Old Trafford in 2005 for £790m, have since seen their shareholding diluted to 48.9 per cent.
Man United in ‘odd’ situation after takeover latest
The Glazers could land an extra £2.5bn if they were to trigger a sale, with the club likely commanding a valuation in excess of £5bn.
Borson said: “It just seems to me that it would be quite odd timing, and given how thorough the process was before that didn’t flush out this kind of proposal, why now when things are worse would somebody be prepared to pay more?
“It’s a harder deal to do now than it was two years ago, so why would that make sense now? The economic picture is not as good. They’ve got the stadium situation. You’ve got Jim Ratcliffe in the way.
“The team on the pitch is not better. There’s clearly a huge investment required. They’ve got more competition.
“They’ve got other businesses that you could buy. Spurs, for example, or certainly part of Spurs. It doesn’t make any sense to me, but as I say, maybe in the next few days I’ll be proven wrong. I think it’s unlikely.”
Man United released their latest accounts for 2024-25 last month, revealing their turnover increased from £661.8m to £666.5m.
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