According to The Times, the Glazers could be persuaded to sell Manchester United after protests at Old Trafford, but only for a huge fee.

What's the latest news on Man United's ownership situation?

Manchester United fans have displayed their anger towards the current ownership at the club after protesting within the walls of their own stadium.

As a consequence the most anticipated fixture of the season was postponed after protesters broke into Old Trafford and gathered outside the hotels of both teams prior to the match.

What began as a peaceful protest then turned ugly, but the message was evident - get the Glazers out.

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Why do Man United fans dislike the Glazers?

Initially the Glazer family purchased the club through borrowing £600m from the banks. At the time the club had no debt and had a figure of £6m stored in their accounts. 

The Times stated that in 2016 United began to pay dividends on shares of around £22m per year, with as much as 75 per cent paid into the owners pocket.

The attempt from England's big six clubs to break away from the traditional football system and join the highly controversial European Super League has left most owners' relationships with fans in tatters.

However, due to Joel Glazer's 'closely associated' role he appears to have lost all trust from a fan-base already unhappy with proceedings off the field.

How much would it take to convince the Glazers to sell?

Despite reports suggesting a £4b sale would be enough to convince the owners to sell, with £3b going directly to the Glazers, there have been no reliable sources detailing concrete interest.

The Times report states that the Glazers' shares are worth £2.1b, but they would likely to be keen to gain some profit on top of that to make the sale worthwhile and be paid around £3b.

On top of this, lenders will want their fees covered so the total cost would be closer to a £4b figure.

A £4b sale would be a huge increase on the initial price that the Glazers paid for a controlling stake in 2005, with that figure at roughly £790m.

Who could buy the Glazers?

The Times reported that Jim O'Neill could be an interested party however he is yet to display solid interest. O'Neill was linked with a takeover in 2010 and as a United supporter himself he could have some natural backing from fans. 

Arsenal fans have found themselves in a similar position and they too protested against their owners prior to match-day.

Despite a more low-key protest than the one at Old Trafford, reports emerged that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is serious about his interest in purchasing the club from the current ownership of KSE - however, as things stand there is no parallel figure coming in to buy United.

Despite the idea of the 50+1 rule being implemented, the Times have said this is unlikely to work as it could require huge compensation to existing shareholders.