Key facts
- Some Glazer family members are considering selling their stake in Manchester United FC.
- The family has owned the club for over 20 years.
- Discussions are ongoing among family members about divesting part or all of their holdings.
- The club's New York-listed shares were up 7% in extended trading.
- The family previously sold a 29% stake to INEOS Group Chairman Jim Ratcliffe.
Several members of the billionaire Glazer family, who have owned Manchester United FC for over two decades, are debating the possibility of selling their stake in the club. This potential divestment comes amid a long history of ownership that has frequently been met with significant fan protests. People familiar with the matter indicated that these discussions are ongoing among family members. Bloomberg News reported that some members of the Glazer family have been debating selling their stake in Manchester United FC after more than two decades of ownership, with several stakeholders studying the possibility of divesting part or all of their holdings in the English Premier League football club. The club's New York-listed shares were up 7% in extended trading. The internal talks initially centered on stake sales by some individual family members, who are now trying to convince others to join them. Manchester United did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while the Glazer family could not immediately be reached. The report on current deliberations comes more than two years after the family sold a roughly 29% stake in the club to INEOS Group Chairman Jim Ratcliffe, giving the billionaire control of their soccer operations. The Glazer family, who still own a majority of the club, has faced strong criticism from fans for saddling the club with debt, overspending on players and putting off investments on infrastructure. Ratcliffe has taken steps to revive United's fortunes, including cutting jobs and raising ticket prices. After struggling to replicate the success the club enjoyed on- and off-the-pitch under Alex Ferguson, United's third-place finish this season under Michael Carrick secured a berth in the Champions League for the first time in two seasons. United shares ended Wednesday at $21.11, valuing the Old Trafford club at $3.64 billion.