Two members of the Glazer family have offered to sell 9.5million Manchester United shares, and could pocket a cool £140m with the club receiving nothing.
The news broke late on Tuesday night that both Kevin and Edward Glazer are cashing in shares worth a value of $186.86m (£137.12m) at close of play in New York on Tuesday, according to Business Wire, with the family still holding the vast majority of the club despite the sale.
The Glazers have come under a lot of scrutiny by United fans, and the decision to try and join the European Super League only escalated proceedings, and the latest news will likely further anger the club's supporters.
Even with Edward and Kevin bowing out, the Glazer's are still very much involved at United.
The shares offered by the two Glazer's represent 8% of family’s total combined ownership at United, but they will still hold 69% even after the sale of the 9.5m shares.
It's also clear that United will not receive any proceeds from the sale, and sources close to the Glazer family say that they remain committed to club despite lowering their share.
Last month Joel Glazer said that implementing a fans share scheme was 'rather complex' but hoped to bring it to conclusion 'in the not too distant future', before the shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol 'MANU'.
However, the United shareholder previously promised back in May: "As one of the few European football clubs listed on the public markets, we believe in the principle of fans owning shares in the club.
"We have previously engaged with the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust on fan share ownership and we want to continue and accelerate those discussions, together with provisions to enhance associated fan consultation.
"We recognise that the government-initiated, fan-led review of football is a positive opportunity to explore new structures for fan engagement and influence. I can assure you that we will willingly and openly engage in the review."
The Glazers seemed to get some of the outraged United fans back on board after these comments following the Super League nightmare, and they also appeased fans by signing Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, before announcing the return of Cristiano Ronaldo on Deadline Day.
The comments were initially made after many protests were carried out across the Premier League as supporters wanted their owners to step aside following the revolt amongst the fans, with the America owners of United, Liverpool and Arsenal targeted the most.
It appeared that their comments were going to be further reinforced, as in June the club Fan Advisory Board and a Fan Share Scheme were set to be created at Old Trafford, and a statement read: "The club has been in discussions with Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) regarding a fan share scheme for a number of months and has already sought external legal advice on options.
"Discussions will now intensify, with the aim of agreeing a plan before the start of the new season."
The news is not likely to go down well, after finance director Hemen Tseayo commented that "the fans will be treated like a seventh Glazer" in regards to their power.
