• Premier League

Poor season sees Manchester United's value plummet

ESPN staff
January 13, 2014
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Manchester United's worst start to a season in 24 years has seen the club's value drop by £250 million in just one month.

United are currently seventh in the table following six Premier League defeats before the turn of the year and lie 10 points behind leaders Manchester City. David Moyes' side have also been knocked out of the FA Cup.

And according to The Sun, United's share price has fallen to £1.5 billion as a result.

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Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish © PA Photos

Speaking to the newspaper, football consultant Keith Harris said: "The poor on-field results have begun to take a grip that has cost shareholders of Manchester United just under a quarter of a billion pounds.

"The value of the business marked by the share price is worth about £250m less than it was just over a month ago. The Glazers are more interested in Manchester United as a producer of cash for themselves - this is a significant fall by any measure.

"It's a huge sum of money. It's not cash but paper value. It will be something they will inevitably keep their eye on."

Harris, who played a heavy role in Roman Abramovich's takeover of Chelsea, added: "The Glazers had the opportunity to sell at a higher price than they could fetch today and declined because I think they thought that the curve they were riding was an ever-improving one.

"They are still burdened heavily by interest. In the last five years they paid around £400m in interest and recorded a loss of income in the quarter they just reported."

United lie seventh in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders and hated rivals Manchester City.

They have lost six league games this season, including four at home, and are five points off the Champions League places.

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