Manchester United fans lay out requirements for new owners

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari royal Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani have both expressed interest in buying the club from the Glazers

The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust and over 150 fan groups have urged potential buyers of the club to publicly commit to manager Erik ten Hag before they take over the club.

The Raine Group, who are overseeing the Glazer family’s search for investment in or a purchaser of, United, have received bids from the petrochemicals billionaire and Mancunian Sir Jim Ratcliffe of Ineos and the Qatari royal Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

And in an open letter to prospective owners, United supporters called on them to respect the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community.

They also urged bidders to work with supporters and to fund investment in Old Trafford and the Carrington training ground, while not burdening the club with debt, which the Glazers have done, or sign up for a European Super League or anything similar.

They said in a statement: “Any successful bid should not be based on debt and should include a commitment to replace existing debt, and fund future capital expenditure, through new share issues.

“Manchester United needs urgent new capital investment – to modernise both the stadium and training ground, as well as long-term guarantees about available spend on players across the men’s team, women’s team and youth setup.

“The club should commit to never again seek to enter any competition similar to the European Super League, and any proposal to change the competitions the club enters should require definitive consent of fans.”