Glazers again deny Man Utd sale

The Glazer family has again denied rumours of a plan to sell Manchester United to Qatar, as the football club revealed strong merchandise sales.

“No discussions have taken place, Manchester United is not for sale and the owners will not entertain any offers,” said the publicly listed firm.

The new results showed revenues of £156m for the six months to December, up 8% on a year earlier.

Commercial sales of £50m were up 30%, despite calls to boycott merchandise.

However, matchday turnover actually fell marginally, down 0.4% to £52.4m, according to the permiership club’s preliminary financial results.

Meanwhile, the football club’s balance sheet – a sore point for many fans since the Glazers’ debt-financed takeover – was somewhat healthier.

Gross debts fell and rising cash balances rose, meaning that the club’s net debt position – the difference between the two – fell 9% over the year, to £355m.