• Premier League

£1.5 billion buys you Manchester United - Whelan

Harry Harris
June 9, 2010
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan takes his seat in the crowd © Getty Images
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The Glazers would sell Manchester United for £1.5 billion, despite suggestions to the contrary, according to Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan.

Whelan had the chance to buy United for £11 million 20 years ago and spoke in detail about the Glazers' finances during the BBC's investigative programme Panorama, which claimed the family's business empire had run up debts of £1.1 billion.

Although the Red Knights have shelved their bid to buy Manchester United amid reports that the Glazers rejected a £1.5 billion offer from the Middle East, Whelan doubts the validity of those figures.

Whelan told Soccernet: "If someone put £1.5 billion on the table, there would be a very quick deal done indeed. There is no way the Glazers would say 'no' to that amount of money.

"It seems more realistic that they turned down £1.2 billion, but even that amount of money seems a lot to me, and I would have thought they would have been tempted by it.

"My view is that there isn't many, if any, people out there willing to pay £1.2 billion or £1.5 billion. There might be one rich Arab, but I cannot see it, that is why if £1.5 billion was offered, the Glazers would accept it."

The Red Knights, who have become closely linked with the green and gold protest against the Glazers at Old Trafford, are a group of wealthy United fans, but they have postponed their potential takeover bid until there is a realistic valuation of the club.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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