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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Richard Fay

Qatari takeover would divide Manchester United fanbase and mark another victory for sportswashing

It could be a pivotal month in the history of Manchester United as takeover talks begin to gather pace.

The Glazers are open to selling the club after almost 18 years at the helm, and it is clear to see why so many supporters are in a frenzy about the prospect of a new era of success on the horizon.

It's suggested that the Glazers are seeking more than £6billion for the club if they are to sell up completely, with a partial sale not entirely ruled out, though the preference would be for them to cash in now and make a huge profit on their initial leveraged purchase of the club.

Read more: United takeover bids due in days as Glazers dealt blow in £8billion hope

United supporters have perpetually protested against the American family's ownership throughout their time in charge, and they will deserve huge credit if a takeover takes place.

However, while they campaigned for new owners, they also fought hard for the right owners to be in place. The Glazers have had their own huge problems at Old Trafford but there is no guarantee that the next owners wouldn't bring their own.

That is particularly pertinent with regard to the prospect of investment in the club from Qatar and the prospect of United becoming a sportswashing machine.

There have been fresh reports this week of Qatari interest in the club, with mega-rich investors from the Gulf state believed to be preparing an enormous offer that they believe will eclipse any rival bids.

One of the main complaints against the Glazer family is that they haven't invested their own money during their tenure, and the prospect of wealthy owners putting billions into the club is certainly appealing to many United fans.

The ugly issue surrounds what that money represents.

It may be tempting to say that if you can't beat them, join them, but embracing a sportswashing project would forever tarnish United's reputation, even if the product on the field improved.

The sad reality is that the recent World Cup in Qatar demonstrated that sportswashing works. During the tournament, the spotlight was shone on the repression of women and the LGBTQ+ community, and the exploitation of thousands of migrant workers, though for many fans who consumed it as a product, it was still one they enjoyed.

It had been a project years in the making and Qatar achieved their goal of advertising their regime as one heading in the right direction, and in the process, they achieved their goal of providing western allies with an alibi to stay connected with the state.

United have themselves had a part to play in that. Sir Alex Ferguson was a guest at the Sport Congress and Exhibition at the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence in Doha when he was United manager back in November 2010, and he also took squads to the Qatar for training camps in 2010 and 2013.

There is also another United link to the state through United legend David Beckham, who served as an ambassador for the World Cup and is someone who could endorse the country as a potential investor in his former club.

Criticism of such regimes tends to lead to a game of moral top trumps played out across the media, with different factions arguing their innocence by comparing one repressive regime with another, looking to justify immorality with deflective whataboutery.

Yes, United wouldn't be the only club to receive such questionable investment, and they most certainly wouldn't be the last, but that doesn't give the green light for such a takeover to happen.

It begs the question, what are United really supposed to do? They have made huge strides under the guidance of Erik ten Hag, but to capitalise on this forward momentum, they need the money to compete with vastly rich opponents in the Premier League, renovate their stadium and invest in their training ground.

It is hard to see any other investor being able to offer all that initially, though given the huge revenues that the club is already bringing in, there is an argument that they don't need to go down such a path to make such huge changes in the way they are run.

United have always prided themselves on being unique, a club proud of its history and traditions, where legends are born and fans stick by them through thick and thin.

True, their indulgence in nostalgia has sometimes left them playing catch-up in recent years, and with a takeover, there is a chance to finally become the trend-setters again, but they cannot lose what makes them so unique.

United are up for sale, but the soul of the club shouldn't be.

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