Richard Arnold, the CEO of Manchester United, has acknowledged that he is unable to offer many updates on the potential acquisition of the team.
Last year, the Glazer family made it known that they would be open to outside funding or a complete sale of the organization.
Both INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari financier Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani have tabled proposals to acquire complete control of the club, but as of this writing, neither offer has been accepted.
Ratcliffe is now willing to buy a minority share in United if he cannot immediately take control, according to a 90min article from earlier this month.
Earlier this week, United held a fans’ forum when Arnold was quizzed on a variety of topics, including the potential takeover. He was unable to give too much of an update, though.
“The club understood the desire for a resolution as soon as possible but reiterated that, as a publicly listed company, it was impossible to provide updates until such a time as there is an outcome that can be communicated to the market,” he stated.
Arnold’s response to the question of whether the Glazers are aware of the fans’ fervent desire for the team to find new owners was, “The club was transparent in its feedback to the owners.”
While Arnold defended their most recent transfer business, football director John Murtough acknowledged that United were looking into the injury crisis that has dogged their season thus far.
The team, led by John Murtough, has a well-defined long-term squad strategy in place that directs our choices in each window. Although I understand the playing group’s and the supporters’ dissatisfaction that the results thus far haven’t lived up to expectations, we were aware that there would be a changeover.
