Liverpool and FSG will be keeping a careful eye on Manchester United as it approaches a prospective takeover, with the Glazers keen to selling the Old Trafford club
One of the major storylines of last season was the simultaneous sale of Liverpool and Manchester United. FSG was then revealed to be looking for minority investment, while the Glazers remain at Old Trafford months later.
However, there have been developments this week. According to the BBC, numerous parties are still in the running to take over Manchester United, but TalkSport reports that Sheikh Jassim and the Qatari offer are ‘increasing in confidence’ that they can win the battle. According to Reuters, Qatar has been granted exclusivity ahead of a $6 billion transaction.
When a club changes hands, it can make a significant difference. However, Manchester United is one of the largest and could have a significant impact on how the club is operated and how much money it has to spend in the transfer market. The Reds will be watching intently as a rival and another team hoping to compete for trophies at the top end of the Premier League again soon.
Here are three things that will ‘certainly’ happen to Liverpool if the Glazers sell Manchester United to the Qatari bid, with more developments to come (though most of these would also apply if INEOS billionaire Jim Ratcliffe took over).
Liverpool is facing increased transfer competition.
Liverpool has rarely had to worry about Manchester United in the transfer market in recent years, though Mason Mount may be an exception, and the Old Trafford club has just ended ahead of the Reds.
Liverpool’s recruitment strategy is complex, data-driven, and reinforced by superb scouting. Manchester United has a huge scouting organization that appears to be underutilized, as well as a transfer policy that veers wildly between unproven prospects, famous names, and pet manager favorites.
Sir Alex Ferguson was the glue that held Manchester United together, and his retirement has created a void that has yet to be filled. He was the last of a period in which managers made all of the decisions – football has progressed, but the Glazers have not. Erik ten Hag has made a fantastic start, but with new owners, things could take a whole new turn.
Football architecture is an odd mash-up of past and present, with half-baked reforms rubbing shoulders with structures that are no longer fit for purpose. The only true circumstance in which it is truly likely to alter is a change of ownership.
Fresh proprietors who are not bound by outdated beliefs are almost certain to invest considerably in their data department. Newcastle United is an example of what a big-money takeover looks like in the twenty-first century, a far cry from the Manchester City buy.
Manchester United, given its current situation, would soon become a transfer rival if it could sort out its recruitment – especially if its return to the Champions League can be prolonged. The fact that Barcelona continues to recruit sought-after talent demonstrates this.
Liverpool has long mastered the art of outmaneuvering bigger spenders in the market, so they would not be overly concerned, but it would be something to consider.
The standing of the FSG has been called into question.
The world of Premier League soccer owners is a small one. Some clubs are more fortunate than others, but the bottom line applies to every single owner. If Manchester United were to be sold for an exorbitant sum, other clubs would undoubtedly sit up and take notice.
With investment on the table for FSG, it would heighten fans’ desire to see additional money arrive at Anfield in order to compete with the sides above. Newcastle, Chelsea, Manchester City, and even Manchester United are difficult to challenge at the moment. Manchester United under Qatari control may be much more challenging.
The wait of 58 years is about to come to an end.
For 58 years, no player has transferred straight between Manchester United and Liverpool. Phil Chisnall swapped Old Trafford for Anfield on that occasion, unaware that it would be the only such transaction for the next half-century and counting.
However, new ownership brings with it uncertainty. Nothing is fixed in stone anymore, not even the unwritten rule that appears to restrict business between the two teams.
Boehly is informative once more. At Chelsea, he has ripped up the rulebook by indulging in all manner of intra-big-six trading. None of this is on the same scale as bridging the Liverpool-Manchester United split, but it could be a precursor to things to come. Not long ago, it would have been unimaginable for Chelsea’s opponents to consider Mount or Levi Colwill as genuine targets.
It’s difficult to envisage any Liverpool players wanting to leave, therefore the issue quickly becomes if FSG is interested in any Manchester United players.
There are few contenders, but one name sticks out: Jadon Sancho’s talent has been squandered thus far. Despite the new deal agreed this summer, Liverpool will need to contemplate a Mohamed Salah replacement soon, and no one would rule out a revival under Jürgen Klopp.
Football is changing, and Liverpool and FSG must adapt.
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