Any delay in the sale of Manchester United could lead to a "vacuum" that impacts transfers at the end of the season.
That is according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, who also believes the reportedly high asking price put on the Premier League club by owners the Glazer family is because United are seen as a "trophy asset".
The deadline for bids for the club passed at 9pm GMT on Wednesday, though reports have suggested both British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Al Thani requested an extension before submitting their respective offers.
Speaking to Stats Perform, Maguire detailed why any buyer will likely want to get a deal over the line quickly in preparation for the transfer window at the end of the season.
"I think whoever does acquire Manchester United will want to do it as early as they can into the transfer window for the summer of 2023 because they'll be wanting to make a statement," he said.
"Also, from the Glazers' point of view, they don't want to be committing themselves or committing the club to long-term contracts on players who might not be in favour with any potential new owners.
"So the danger is that if things are dragging on over the summer, there could be a vacuum with regard to player trading."
Though reports suggest that several bids for either a takeover or minority investment have been made, Ratcliffe and Shekh Jassim have been the most public about their interest, though have made it known they do not want to pay over the odds for the Red Devils.
It is expected that any successful bid would need to be above the world-record amount paid for a sports team, which was NFL franchise the Denver Broncos when they were bought for $4.65billion by the Walton-Penner family ownership group in June last year.
Maguire explained that the money involved in acquiring a sports team is rarely based on financial prudence, rather it is a way for billionaires to "win the room" among their peers.
"If you take a look at Chelsea, which was sold for around $3billion last year, that was a distressed asset," Maguire said. "Roman Abramovich had his assets frozen by the UK government at the time and I think that took a lot of people by surprise, because Chelsea had lost well over £1million a week for 19 years under Abramovich.
"You put that into any spreadsheet and the fundamentals say the business isn't worth it, but football is a trophy asset industry.
"There are many billionaires who want to make a statement and the way to do that is to buy a brand, to buy a franchise, which from a financial perspective the prices cannot be justified, but if you've got billions burning a hole in your pocket, what better way to win the room?
"If your social circle is fellow billionaires, everybody's got an apartment in Manhattan and Monaco, everybody owns a yacht, everybody's got a few helicopters, but if you own a sports franchise which is as unique as the Broncos or in the world of football, Manchester United, then you win the room, and that's what the price is going to be linked to.
"On a cash flow basis, on a comparative basis to other football clubs, are Manchester United bigger than Newcastle United? Yes it is, but is it worth 20 times the price of Newcastle? The answer, fundamentally, is no, but that's probably what it's going to take to persuade the Glazer family to sell."
Craig Beattie says John Kennedy has some big career decisions to make
Craig Beattie feels his former Celtic team-mate John Kennedy is destined to be a “great manager” – but could decide continuing to work under Ange Postecoglou will help in his ambitions.
The new Tottenham manager reportedly wants to take assistant boss Kennedy down to north London along with Gavin Strachan when he officially takes over on July 1.
Kennedy had a spell as interim manager in 2021 before the Australian took over, having previously worked under Ronny Deila, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon.
The 39-year-old could be a contender for the Celtic job and was linked with the Hearts vacancy before Steven Naismith was handed an extended deal.
Beattie speculated that Kennedy will have a difficult decision if Postecoglou is keen to continue their working relationship.
The PFA Scotland player relations officer told Sky Sports News: “I know John well. He is hugely ambitious, his work ethic is second to none.
“Spurs are a huge club so if Ange decides he wants to take him, then John has got that decision. I won’t tell John what to do because he is very much his own man.
“He will be a manager at some point, he will be a great manager at some point.
“For me it depends on when John wants to make that step. We have seen recently where young managers have done it too early so he might just be looking at going down there and working with the likes of Harry Kane and Son (Heung-min). There are some exceptional players down there he could work with.
“Does he want to be a manager in his own right or go down to the Premier League as a number two and gain even more experience so when he decides to be a manager, he has huge experience to tap into when required.
“There’s a lot of big decisions and we speculate about it.”
Steven Naismith gets new job title as he agrees deal to continue leading Hearts
Steven Naismith will remain in charge of Hearts but with a new title of technical director.
Naismith has signed a two-year deal – with the option of a further 12 months – after stepping in as interim manager for the last seven games of the season following the sacking of Robbie Neilson.
After keeping the club in fourth place in the cinch Premiership to seal a place in the Europa Conference League qualifiers, Naismith cannot act as the club’s manager or head coach in those games because he has not completed his Pro-Licence coaching badge.
So Frankie McAvoy has been named head coach with Naismith given the fresh title. Gordon Forrest remains as first-team coach and Paul Gallacher continues as goalkeeping coach.
Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay told the club’s website: “We are thrilled to confirm Steven, Frankie and Gordon as our coaching team.
“We received a number of excellent applications, and, after a robust recruitment process, we believe the three were the best candidates to lead us into next season while sharing our vision for the club’s future.
“Steven is an outstanding young coach with a strong track record of improving players whilst also displaying a commitment to blooding young talent through the ranks.”
Former Preston manager McAvoy, previously assistant to Alex Neil at several clubs, joined Hearts as head of the youth academy in February 2022 while Forrest followed Neilson from Dundee United in 2020.
McKinlay said: “Frankie has vast experience from his time coaching on both sides of the border and possesses an impressive track record of developing talent. Gordon, of course, is very familiar with the club already. He’s an outstanding presence on the training pitch and a very gifted coach.”
Sporting director Joe Savage added: “We’ve been really impressed with all three of them, there’s a fantastic dynamic there and we believe they’ve earned this opportunity.
“They want to continue playing in a style that the fans like and the players enjoy. I think the performances spoke for themselves – you could tell the players really bought into what they were trying to achieve.
“Steven has had a wonderful playing career and worked towards this for a long time. He’s got a style and identity that I like and agree with. I think we’ll work together well to develop and enhance this team.
“I’ve known Frankie a long time from working together at Hamilton, Norwich and Preston. He brings a wealth of experience and has a history of developing young players who have been sold for millions of pounds. In his time as academy director, you can see the influence he’s had already.
“Speak to anyone about Gordon Forrest and they’ll tell you what a top coach he is. Gordon’s brilliant on the grass, brilliant in taking sessions and that’s been utilised really well. They’re all good foils for each other and bounce ideas around together.
“The sky’s the limit. The three have shown in a short space of time what good ideas they have. Let’s see how far we can go because we’ve got a great chance to build something really special at Hearts.”
Everton’s Amadou Onana to miss Belgium’s upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana will miss Belgium’s Euro 2024 qualifiers later this month with a groin problem.
The 21-year-old was scheduled to be in the squad to face Austria on June 17 and Estonia the following Tuesday.
“Amadou Onana will not feature for Belgium in upcoming internationals due to a minor groin injury and will return to Finch Farm to be treated by club medical staff,” said an Everton statement.
“He is expected to be fit for the start of Everton’s pre-season training next month.”
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