A former Manchester United manager is considering a ‘hostile’ takeover of the club.
The Premier League team is currently owned by the Glazer family after Malcolm Glazer started buying shares in the company in 2003.
The American owners have been widely maligned by club fans and protests have been a regular feature at Old Trafford.
Now former manager Michael Knighton, who sat on the club’s board between 1989 and 1992, is preparing a sensational return.
Speaking to Man United The Religion, he said: “Everyone knows we need a new owner for this football club.
“That’s my goal, those are my goals.
“I’m making good progress, I keep talking to people, I have good promises with good funding.
“We are currently working on the offer document – remember, this is a hostile offer.”
Asked about the definition of hostile, he explained: “It just means that the club is not officially for sale, but my intention is to present these owners with a legitimate, powerful and appropriate commercial offer to say ‘you don’t you’ve run out of road, it’s time to leave, because your time is up”.
“And frankly, fans everywhere are fed up with this diet.”
Knighton was far from complimentary about the Glazers, which is likely to please United fans.
He said: “We are a club in crisis and we all know the reason why.
“We have an inept and frankly useless property that knows little about this game of football.”
Knighton continued: “The exciting feeling of a new season that we all have, and that balloon of excitement is there but it quickly burst when we saw the performance against Brighton.
“Honestly, the Lionesses, we could have played them and I think they would have gotten a better result.
“The club is in crisis and it will remain in crisis as long as we have this current ownership – that’s the situation.”
Protests continue to be a regular feature and ahead of the first game of the 2022/23 season, which was Erik ten Hag’s first in charge, another protest took place.
Knighton added: “It is inevitable that fans will protest out of frustration, out of disappointment; what else can they do to show their disappointment with these protests?
“The protests are brilliantly organised, they are peaceful – this is very important – no one would support violence.
“These are peaceful protests by supporters who just say ‘look, we want change – preferably, we want regime change’.
“So, yes, the protests will continue, it’s inevitable, until they bring about what everyone wants, which is change.”
In a final message to fans, he concluded: “My consortium is ready and waiting, funds are committed, the offer document is being drafted and it will be presented.
“We are still waiting for the great Sir Jim Ratcliffe to come forward because he solves all our problems, makes my work redundant, but until Jim comes my consortium will submit their offer very soon – that I guarantee.”
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