You may have heard of the iPhone, the iPod, the iPad, but have you heard of iFootball? Well there are talks of Apple deciding to invest in a football team in the UK, but which football team are the technology giants going to go for?
There are strong rumours that Apple are going to take over from another set of American owners at Manchester United. This would be a huge deal for the technology company and one that could spark a revival for a fallen giant that are wanting to compete with bitter rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
So will the deal get over the line or will it say as rumours? This site will help you see the likelihood of how likely it will be that the American company will venture into the sports world.
What is going on at Manchester United?
The 20 times league champions have not won the title for coming on 10 seasons now which is unheard of considering their dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson since 1992 to 2013 but the tougher times have come for the red side of Manchester. Although they have picked up a few trophies after 2013 they are currently trophyless since 2017.
However, the main issue with Manchester United is the fact that their owners are dragging the club down in more ways than one. Although the club have spent big since Sir Alex Ferguson left, who was papering over the cracks, they have spent incredibly poorly. The infrastructure of the training ground and the stadium is pitiful for a side with such great history; something needs to change.
Will Apple be the solution?
The problem with the acquisition of Manchester United is the Glazer family (who own the club) will be asking for quite a handsome fee when the time comes. They have already announced they are looking to sell up to the relief of many Manchester United fans but it will be on their terms to get the right deal.
It seems incredible that the family are able to dictate how much they want for the club considering they have never spent a single penny that is theirs whilst at the club. Instead, they have dumped millions of pounds of debt onto the club!
It is expected that the Glazers will want £8 billion which is frankly ludicrous; they purchased the club for around £800 million. Manchester United, although might be one of the biggest clubs in the world, is certainly not worth that and financial advisors estimate the club being worth closer to £4 billion.
This is where Apple comes in. They have the money to possibly buy out the Glazers and leave United fans not worrying about oil money with moral answering questions.
Apple would also bring with them a major power in terms of branding and freshen up a club that is in need of a bit of TLC. Apple could give Manchester United a real step up in terms of stature amongst the powers in Europe and Tim Cook is reportedly wanting to get his hands into the sports world.
How much are Apple willing to pay?
This is where the complications might come in. As stated the Glazers are interested in an amount close to £8 billion making the takeover the biggest ever takeover in the world. However, despite Apple being worth $2.36 trillion they are wanting to pay £5.8million.
Only time will tell with this story but it could really be true that Manchester United could be owned by Apple in the near future.
Comments (1)