Takeover won't mean a Chelski, says expert

Manchester United will lack the spending power of Chelsea even if Malcolm Glazer takes over the club, according to a leading City expert.

United will compete with top European teams in the transfer market if the proposed move is completed, but Barclays stockbroker Henk Potts believes they would lose out in a bidding war with Roman Abramovich’s club.

But a takeover is certain to free more funds for manager Alex Ferguson, who has spent over £100m (€145m) on deals for Rio Ferdinand, Juan Sebastian Veron, Cristiano Ronaldo, Louis Saha, Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney in recent seasons.

Potts said: “Presumably, Abramovich can buy any player he wants but Manchester United probably wouldn’t compete in a bidding war, but they’re in a position to bid for and buy the best.

“He’s (Glazer) a billionaire, got a lot of money to put into Manchester United and I would think they will again be able to compete with the strongest clubs in Europe in the transfer market.

“You’re probably not talking about the same money as Chelsea, but they will be able to spend more freely. Abramovich is in a different league, but Glazer would add fire power. It’s also a club that makes profits – and that’s a powerful combination."

And Potts issued a warning to United fans – who have already voiced concerns about the move – by characterising Glazer as a ruthless businessman, rather than a football-mad club owner.

“Everyone’s talking about him (Glazer) being a Roman Abramovich-type figure, but he is a different animal to Abramovich,” he added. “It will not be for the love of the club or the love of football, it will be to make a big team bigger.”

Potts believes Glazer has seized the opportunity to control the Premiership giants to export the United brand across the Atlantic.

“He has a history of changing clubs into to big successful franchises,” Potts added. “I would think that’s what he’s trying to do now.

“Manchester United have produced one of the great conjuring acts by making profits for shareholders and success on the pitch.

”I would imagine he would want to launch the brand and the franchise in the United States to make them even bigger.”

Although any takeover could take a number of weeks, Potts predicts swift action if there is co-operation from other United shareholders.

He added: “If you assume the takeover bid is from Malcolm Glazer, as long as you’ve got the backing of the two main guys (JP McManus and John Magnier) then it could be done very quickly."