Manchester United is one of the biggest football clubs in the world and an iconic sporting institution. Apple is reportedly not interested in buying the English football club Manchester United.
A previous report from Daily Star claimed that the technology giant had expressed interest in buying the club for GBP 5.8 billion (about ₹ 57,300 crore). But now, a new report has come forward, adding that sources with direct knowledge of the situation claim the previous report is false. The news comes in the wake of its current owners, the Glazer family, planning to end their 17-year-long reign that has been dominated by fan protests and declining performance.
The club recently announced that its board planned to explore strategic alternatives, which include a potential sale of the club. the announcement that top player Cristiano Ronaldo would be leaving Manchester united coincided with the release of the information. however, the tech giant has no plans to buy the club, it has been pushing into sports content, the report said. Earlier, a report claimed that the tech giant had expressed an interest in purchasing for around $7 billion. early on Thursday, Daily star had originally claimed that Apple CEO Tim cook was in talks with multiple banks, including The Raine Group LLC, to oversee the deal. But less than half a day later, MacRumors noted that “a source with direct knowledge of the situation said the report is false.
While the technology giant has no interest in buying Manchester United it has been pushing into sports content. It has partnered with Major League Baseball (MLB) to air weekly matches on Apple TV+ for the 2022 season. In football, Apple has a 10-year deal with the US top-flight Major League Soccer (MLS) for the next 10 years, which will be available as a standalone MLS Season Pass starting February next year on the Apple TV app.
The Glazers had initially set a “colossal world record” asking price of GBP 8.25 billion (about ₹ 83,827 crores), “but have been told this is unrealistic in the current market.” Had that acquisition gone through, it would have been the costliest in the history of football, surpassing Todd Boehly’s GBP 4.25 billion (about ₹ 41,900 crores) takeover of rival club Chelsea FC.
The process is designed to enhance the club’s future growth, with the ultimate goal of positioning the club to capitalize on opportunities both on the pitch and commercially,” an Official statement from the club said when the current Manchester United owners explained their view.
Manchester United is also looking to revamp its iconic Old Trafford stadium, which would require full demolition and rebuilding from scratch. Daily Mail notes that rebuilding the stadium would cost approximately GBP 1.5 billion (about ₹ 14,800 crores), making it the most expensive playing field. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London belonging to the eponymous fellow Premier League club trails close behind at a value of GBP 1 billion (about ₹ 9,900 crores).
