Football finance experts are reporting the possibility of the struggling English Premier League man, Manchester United, being put up for sale, despite no public announcement.

Neither Manchester United nor the Glazers have confirmed or commented on any active sale process. The Glazers still hold majority control after INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake.

There has been widespread frustration among supporters, with fans claiming the owners have made an absolute fortune off the back of the club while running it into the ground.

So what would it take for a new billionaire to own such a club? Buying Manchester United would require a massive financial commitment, as any prospective owner must pay far more than just the equity purchase price to take complete control. The Glazer family’s valuation target for a full sale sits between Ksh649.75 billion ($5.0 billion) and Ksh909.65 billion ($7.0 billion).

However, buying the club also means addressing its debt burden. Manchester United carries an estimated total net debt of $1.0 billion (about Ksh129.95 billion), which includes long-term loans, credit lines, and unpaid player transfer fee installments.

Under corporate takeover rules, a buyer cannot ignore these liabilities; they must either pay off the debt outright at closing or absorb it onto their balance sheet.

When factoring in the required debt settlement along with an estimated Ksh194.9 billion to Ksh259.9 billion) for urgent stadium redevelopments at Old Trafford and Carrington training ground upgrades, the total capital required reaches between Ksh974.6 billion and Ksh1.3 trillion.

Forbes list who could manage such a deal?

Only a handful of ultra-wealthy individuals globally possess the liquid capacity to execute such a transaction on their own. Elon Musk leads this group, with a net worth of roughly Ksh116.6 trillion, meaning a full $10 billion takeover would represent roughly 1% of his overall fortune. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, valued at around $224 billion (Ksh29.1 trillion), also holds more than enough capital to fund a total cash acquisition if he chooses to enter European sports.

Other individual mega-billionaires capable of raising these funds single-handedly include Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, worth approximately $190 billion Ksh24.7 trillion.

Alternatively, sovereign-backed figures like Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani have previously demonstrated the ability to structure all-cash bids designed to wipe out the debt and fund infrastructure directly.