United's owners, the American Glazer family, began looking at new investment or a potential sale last year, with British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS entering the bidding process.
Lisa Neirotti, the Director of the MS in Sport Management Program at the George Washington University School of Business, said the owners are"desperate for money" in the face of a"limitless" supply from the Middle East. "You get a lot of money from the Premier League, from broadcasting and sponsorship, but you also have to put a lot of money in to keep your team."
European soccer has become a hotbed for investment from the Middle East since Manchester City's takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008 while PSG have won eight league titles since Qatar Sports Investment's 2011 takeover. "Qatar invested in PSG and have assembled the equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters in terms of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe," said Neil Joyce, CEO & co-founder of CLV Group.