Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer 'holds talks with potential investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar' while attending the 2022 World Cup
* Avram Glazer is said to have held talks with investors from Saudi and Qatar
* Discussions began during the 62-year-old's trip to Doha for the World Cup
* The Glazer family announced their plans to 'explore strategic alternatives'
* Therefore, their highly-controversial 17-year reign could be brought to an end
Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer is said to have held talks with potential investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar during the 2022 World Cup.
The Glazer family announced their plans to 'explore strategic alternatives' and consider all options, including 'new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions' on November 22.
Therefore, Glazer is said to have started discussing the potential sale of United with a series of potentially interested parties during his trip to Doha for the 2022 World Cup.
Discussions began during the 62-year-old's trip to Doha, according to The Athletic. However, the nature of those discuss has not yet been disclosed.
Glazer told The Athletic that the sale process was 'going forwards' during his trip to Qatar's capital for the 2022 World Cup.
Speaking after France's semi-final clash with Morocco, he said: 'It's not necessarily a sale, it's a process and we're going forward with the process.
'So we'll see what happens. That's the update, it's the process and the process is proceeding.'
Avram Glazer held talks with investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar during the World Cup. The Glazer family announced their plans to 'explore strategic alternatives' and consider all options, including 'new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions' in November. The Glazer have been in power at Old Trafford since 2005 but have faced criticism. They have been been criticised from the outset over the leveraged £790million purchase which heaped huge debt on United
This is not the first time the Premier League giants and a Saudi investor have been linked together.
However, ties appear to be strengthening as Glazer also bought a cricket franchise in United Arab Emirates’ T20 cricket league.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal has thrown his support behind a potential investment from one of his compatriots.
When asked about a potential investment, Prince Turki told Sky News: 'I hope so, if there are investors and the numbers add up, and it makes a good business.
'Then the private sector could come in, or companies could come in, from the kingdom.
'The Premier League is the best league in the world. Everyone's watching the Premier League. It's the most watched league and there are diehard fans of these teams in the kingdom. So it would be a benefit for everyone.'
The Glazer family announced their decision to invite outside investment or sell completely on November 2022. The posted a 333-word statement to update the fans.
The statement said the club's board was 'commencing a process to explore strategic alternatives for the club…. To enhance the club's future growth.'
The next paragraph explicitly said the Glazers would consider all options, including 'new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions.'
The statement also outlined that Raine Group, a New York-based merchant bank, had been appointed as United's 'exclusive financial advisor.'
Glazer spoke out publicly about the sale of Manchester United on November 24 after being confronted by a Sky News reporter in Palm Beach, Florida.
When asked why now was the right time for the potential sale of United, Glazer said: 'As we announced yesterday, the board went through a process and it has decided it is going to look at different strategic alternatives and that's what we're doing.'
When it was put to Glazer that most United fans feel his family should have sold the club years ago, he answered: 'Once again, we are going through a process, we will look at all different strategic alternatives and we will see where it leads us.'
Glazer shutdown any potential follow-up questions by adding: 'I appreciate you talking to me tonight and I'm going to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.'
The hated American owners have been in power at Old Trafford since 2005. However, they have come under pressure from fan groups for some time to end their 17-year reign.
They have been been criticised from the outset over the leveraged £790million purchase which heaped huge debt on United.
It's thought that an offer in excess of £5bn - and possibly as high as £9bn - would persuade them to sell up.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11551119/Avram-Glazer-holds-talks-potential-investors-Saudi-Arabia-Qatar.html