Some Glazer family members debating sale of their Manchester United shares

Several members of the Glazer family have been internally debating whether to divest part or all of their stakes in Manchester United, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The discussions are said to have begun with a subset of family members hoping to sell, who are now attempting to persuade others to join them. No collective decision has been reached, and some members remain opposed to a sale.

This is not the first time the Glazers have weighed changes to their ownership structure. In 2023, co-chairmen Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer explored buying out their four siblings on the club’s board to consolidate full control at Old Trafford, but those talks came to nothing.

The following year, the family sold a minority stake to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who initially acquired 27.7 per cent of the club before increasing his holding to 28.94 per cent after injecting a significant cash sum. As a condition of that investment, Ratcliffe assumed control of football operations.

Joel and Avram continue to serve as executive co-chairmen, while siblings Kevin Glazer, Bryan Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and Edward Glazer sit on the board as directors. The family has held a majority stake at Old Trafford since 2005, a tenure that has been marked by persistent fan protests against their ownership.

The Manchester Evening News contacted Manchester United for comment, and a spokesperson directed the enquiry to the Glazers’ communications department.

The ownership uncertainty arrives at a sensitive moment for the club. United are in the early stages of planning a new 100,000-seat stadium expected to cost in excess of £2 billion. An initial suggestion from Ratcliffe that taxpayers could partly fund the project was rejected by politicians, and the club has since confirmed the development will be privately financed. Three months ago, a United spokesperson said the club was having positive conversations with potential investors and stakeholders about how that financing would be structured.