Gary Neville has made Manchester United's ownership the story again, arguing the Glazer family should sell now as the club drifts through eight games without a win and sits 16th in the Premier League. More than two years have passed since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos took over football operations, and Neville says the situation has not been fixed.
Neville's case against the ownership model
Speaking to independent.co.uk, Neville said: "There's £1.2bn of debt in that football club, they're hamstrung in some ways. They've spent an absolute fortune, just under Man City in the last 15 years. £1.4bn on players, they're second in the spending, but a lot of it's the never-never."
He added: "My point is, they have to sell now, enough is enough, the club is in debt, you’ve not spent a penny on the stadium, you’re now trying to borrow £2bn for a stadium you don’t know how you’ll how the hell you’ll borrow."
The point Neville keeps returning to is the gap between money spent and results delivered. Manchester United's debt is close to reaching £1.3bn, yet the club's league position and seven points from eight games point to a team that is not even stabilising, never mind improving.
The football evidence he is pointing to
Neville also framed the issue around years of underperformance. He said: "You've got a failure of a 13, 14 years on the football side, you’ve subbed it out to somebody else, which is ridiculous, is it now at a point where they have to sell."
That is a harsh verdict, but the league numbers give him room. Manchester United have only one win in their recent league sequence, and the team has been stuck on 16th with 7 points from 8 games. The argument is not just about one bad run, it is about a club that still looks trapped by the same problems Neville has been talking about for years.
United travel to Chelsea on Saturday for a 12.30pm kick-off, with the ownership debate now sitting right on top of the football.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
