By Adedapo Adesanya
Technology giant, Apple, is interested in buying Manchester United for a stunning £5.8 billion after the club’s owners, the Glazers family, put it up for sale this week.
The decision by Manchester United owners to sell the club lends credence to the demands of those fans who have wanted them ousted.
The American billionaires will sell the club to the highest bidder – and bosses of Apple have expressed an interest in discussing a potential deal.
Apple is the largest tech company in the world, with an annual revenue of almost £326 billion and an estimated net worth as of this month of £2 trillion.
The California-based firm has no experience in owning a football club, and its foray into the club could make it the richest club in the world.
British media reports that Apple CEO, Mr Tim Cook, is keen to explore the opportunities of owning Manchester United and will line up talks with the banks appointed to oversee the sale, which includes The Raine Group.
Part of Mr Cook’s plan could include Apple funding the building of a new state-of-the-art stadium that would be regarded as the best in the world.
The Glazers had initially set an asking price of £8.25 billion, and if Apple were to complete a deal, it would make Apple’s value more than that belonging to the respective Gulf state owners of Manchester City, Newcastle and Paris Saint Germain.
The Glazers bought United in 2005 but went on to become hugely unpopular due to the handling of the club.
Earlier this week, the club released Cristiano Ronaldo with immediate effect after he granted an interview, where he expressed his disgust at the running of the club. The forward, across two spells at Old Trafford, scored 145 goals in 346 appearances.
“Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch,” the statement said.
Dipo Olowookere