Manchester United’s American owners are set to raise around £89million by selling more of their shares in the club on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Premier League club announced on Wednesday that the Glazer family is selling eight million shares with reduced voting rights, which equates to around 5 percent of the business.
The Glazers, who maintain control of the club, previously sold 10 per cent of their holding via a stock listing in 2012.
The announcement comes two months after Malcolm Glazer, who led the family takeover of United in 2005, died. His six grown children control the club.
The latest share sale was announced on a day when United shares closed at £11.44, with the Glazers cashing in at a time of renewed confidence at the club.
Former Netherlands and Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal has taken charge following a dismal first season of the post-Alex Ferguson era under David Moyes that saw the team finish seventh and fail to qualify for the Champions League.
United also signed a 10-year kit sponsorship deal earlier this month with Adidas, announcing that it would be worth an overall £750million from 2015.
But United has disclosed to potential investors in the new share prospectus that failure to play in the Champions League for two or more consecutive seasons would see the annual Adidas payments drop from that second year by 30 per cent from £75m to £52.5m.
If United are relegated, Adidas can cut their payments in half during seasons out of the Premier League, and give a season’s notice to terminate the sponsorship. Conversely the fee could rise by up to £4m each year if the team wins the Premier League, Champions League or FA Cup.
A loss of Champions League revenue from UEFA is already set to cost the club around $60 million next season.
‘Our success and many achievements over the last 20 years does not necessarily mean that we will continue to be successful in the future, whether as a result of changes in player personnel, coaching staff or otherwise,’ United said in the share prospectus.
Source: Daily Mail