Acquiring Manchester United

Chapter 521 Acquiring Manchester United

In October, the last traces of autumn and summer warmth in Manchester have been completely swallowed up by the cold currents of the North Atlantic.

This city, known for its industrial heritage and football passion, seemed to have fallen into the embrace of early winter overnight.

Pedestrians on the street were wrapped tightly in heavy coats, hurrying along the streets covered with fallen leaves, and their breath could be seen as white smoke in the morning and evening.

As dusk fell, Ashley Coleman parked his slightly worn black Bentley at the alleyway at the southwest corner of Old Trafford.

This street, named Red Brick Lane, is named for the rows of red brick buildings on both sides. The fan bar in the lane, which also has red brick walls, has long been a spiritual sanctuary for Manchester United die-hards.

The moment the heavy oak doors of the bar were pushed open, a deafening roar surged out like a tidal wave, almost lifting the entire roof off.

The old-fashioned television behind the bar was replaying the key Premier League match from two days ago, in which Manchester United suffered a humiliating 0-3 defeat at home to Arsenal.

On the screen, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson stood on the sidelines with his hands on his hips, his face ashen, and his signature hairdryer-style roar could be felt even through the screen.

"According to reliable sources received by this station, Manchester United Football Club Chairman Martin Edwards secretly met with representatives of Ernst Asset Management from the United States at a private club in central London yesterday. This was the third round of contact between the two parties regarding Ernst Asset Management's acquisition of Manchester United."

According to eyewitnesses, Edwards left the meeting with a smile and a relaxed expression, suggesting that the meeting had achieved a very satisfactory result.

On the radio, the announcer's steady voice carried through the loudspeaker to every corner of the bar.

"That bastard!" At the bar counter, the tall Pete Harper slammed his beer mug down hard on the solid walnut bar counter, splashing white foam all over the table.

His face was flushed, and his heavy breathing was clearly audible. "That coward Edwards! He's betrayed us three times! This money-grubbing bastard doesn't deserve to be Manchester United's chairman!"

In a corner of the bar, an elderly man with gray hair and a hunched back suddenly started coughing violently.

Anyone who is a Manchester United fan knows him: George Carter, a die-hard Manchester United supporter for over sixty years.

He was covering his mouth with a homemade red Manchester United scarf around his neck, the scarf embroidered with the name Busby in white cotton thread.

The name Babes.

The coughing gradually subsided, and old George put down his scarf. His wrinkled eyes gleamed with a complex light, a mixture of anger and deep sorrow.

"I was here in 1958." Old George's voice trembled slightly. "The Munich air disaster took away eight of our most..."

"A fine young man, he took away our hopes, but even such a disaster couldn't break Manchester United, couldn't break us fans."

"Over the past forty years, we have experienced the pain of relegation and the agony of not winning a title for many years, but we have always stayed here."

"Now look what's happened! Edwards actually wants to sell the great Manchester United to the Americans. Why doesn't he just sell the British House of Commons to them as well?"

As an undisputed pillar of the Manchester United fan community, his words drew support and roars from many fans in the bar.

"It can't be sold!"

"We will never accept American rule!"

"Edwards, get out!"

However, amidst this outcry, a significant number of fans chose to remain silent.

They either sipped their beer with their heads down or stared blankly out the window, as if the matter had nothing to do with them, or as a silent protest.

To be honest, Ashley didn't know which side he was leaning towards at that moment.

Three months ago, when British media reported that News Corporation, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, intended to acquire [the company] for £6.23 million...

When he was at Manchester United, Ashley was the first to stand up and lead the protests.

Even now, he can still vividly recall contacting Manchester United fan groups across England overnight, drafting protest statements, and creating giant posters.

In the North Stand of Old Trafford, he led thousands of fans in displaying a giant, colorful banner that read "Murdoch out of the Theatre of Dreams." The red banner with white lettering that read "Not For Sale" fluttered in the wind, attracting the attention of the entire British media.

This time, however, when faced with the acquisition proposal from American capital, Ashley seems to be more inclined, deep down, to let Edwards sell Manchester United.

The terms offered by Ernst Asset Management were so tempting that even though the news had been announced for more than half a month, he still couldn't believe it was true.

The goal is to invest a total of £100 million in transfers over the next three years, with an annual transfer investment of no less than £15 million thereafter, to equip Manchester United with world-class superstars in every position and build an invincible team.

Not only do they need to consolidate their dominance in the Premier League, but they also need to be invincible in the UEFA Champions League and become the greatest football club in Europe and even the world.

Whenever Ashley thought of this, it felt as if a raging fire was burning in his heart.

In his view, this was like a dream that could only be realized through fantasy.

What does this mean?

Manchester United's total transfer spending last season was only £800 million, and there were probably no more than ten clubs in Europe that spent more than £1000 million on transfers last season.

Such an investment is enough for Manchester United to sweep up all potential targets in the transfer market.

"Ashley, you need to know, those people are capitalists." Old George's voice came again, carrying a hint of disappointment, bringing him back from his rosy fantasy.

"Capitalists never keep their word; their nature is profit-seeking. Even if they temporarily fulfill their promises and invest some transfer funds, they will ultimately be unable to escape the fate of leeching off Manchester United."

"They treat the club as a tool to make money, raising ticket prices, selling jersey rights, and squeezing every penny out of the fans, while the team's performance and the club's tradition are worthless in their eyes."

If George is the typical representative of the older generation of Manchester United fans, then Ashley is the leading figure of the new generation of Manchester United fans.

He is not only the president of Manchester United's largest supporters' club, but also a member of the Manchester United Fans and Shareholders Association.

His words carry a lot of weight among Manchester United fans.

His statement could even determine the outcome of this acquisition.

If he can persuade other members of the Manchester United Fans' Shareholders Association to organize all fan groups to take to the streets in protest, just as they did against Murdoch's takeover of Manchester United, then the Manchester government, the Football Association, and even Parliament will have to take it seriously.

Come.

This is currently the most successful club in all of England, with the largest number of fans.

Even if you don't care about the consequences of their riots, you should at least consider the votes these people hold.

The British know best what kind of people England fans are.

If this really blows up, the whole of Manchester will be paralyzed.

"Is Edwards any better?" Ashley took a deep breath and calmly retorted.

"We all know that the ultimate goal of any club owner investing in a football club is to make money, and there's nothing wrong with that."

Fans don't really care whether the owner makes money; what they truly value is the team's performance, seeing an invincible Manchester United on the field, and a Manchester United that can lift one championship trophy after another.

"If Manchester United can win the Premier League title every year and reach the Champions League final every three to five years and win it, then I would be willing to do it even if the club owner doesn't invest a single penny each year and even makes huge profits from the club."

Ashley paused for a moment, then said, "But the problem now is that Edwards, as the chairman of Manchester United, has no intention of running the club at all."

Eight years ago, he had already planned to sell Manchester United and cash out, but at the time no buyer could offer the necessary funds.

The price he wanted.

So this guy took Manchester United public, ostensibly to raise funds for the club's development and stadium renovation, but secretly, he was still planning to cash out and leave.

In 1996, Edwards reduced his stake in Manchester United twice, cashing out more than £2000 million, which was seen by all Manchester United fans as a blatant betrayal.

The Murdoch takeover of Manchester United that broke three months ago is seen by fans as his second betrayal.

It wasn't until the media exposed it that everyone knew about it, including Manchester United's senior management and Ferguson himself.

Edwards is now secretly liaising with American capital again, which is what old George calls the third betrayal.

But in Ashley's view, could this really be considered betrayal?

"If Manchester United were still in Edwards' hands, I would prefer to welcome the American."

"At least Edwards still cares about the fans' feelings and respects the team's opinions. If American capital came in, would they care whether we protested or not?" Old George sneered. "A transfer fee of £100 million over three years, with an annual transfer investment of no less than £15 million, is, in my opinion, utterly ridiculous and a complete lie."

Not only did he not believe this nonsense, but the whole of Europe didn't believe it either.

This incident even made the news, and the entire Manchester United team was ridiculed for being adorably foolish.

"It's true." Ashley looked up, met old George's gaze, and replied affirmatively.

Everyone in the bar turned to look at him, their eyes filled with surprise and confusion.

Some people even let out a low gasp, and many young fans were so excited by the words that their bodies trembled.

"Ashley, are you serious? Those Americans really will invest that much money?"

"How did you know? Do you have some inside information?"

"If this is true, then is there any need for us to object?"

These younger generation of Manchester United fans hold different beliefs than the older generation of fans like George.

George and his generation experienced Manchester United's most difficult years, witnessed the tragedy of the Munich air disaster, and also witnessed the team's rebirth under the leadership of Sir Matt Busby.

For them, Manchester United is not just a football club, but a belief and a legacy.

Their love for Manchester United is the kind of love that they will always uphold, regardless of the team's performance or the difficulties they face.

They value the club's traditions, spirit, and sense of belonging more than just results.

These young fans grew up during Manchester United's rise in the Premier League, witnessing the team's glory as well as its disappointments in European competitions.

They hope Manchester United will rise to the top, become invincible, and become one of the greatest clubs in Europe, surpassing Real Madrid and their arch-rivals Liverpool.

Whether they admit it or not, and regardless of Manchester United's current dominance in the Premier League, in the history of European competitions, Manchester United simply cannot compare with those traditional European powerhouses.

This is why they didn't oppose the American capital acquisition of Manchester United this time; the temptation was too great.

"What makes you so sure?" Old George stepped forward, staring intently into Ashley's eyes, his tone accusatory.

All eyes in the bar were on Ashley, waiting for his answer.

There was curiosity, nervousness, and anticipation.

But more than anything, it's intensely hot.

It could even be described as fanaticism.

They hope to get a satisfactory answer and make Manchester United what they envision.