Libya’s Gaddafi was ‘hours away’ from buying Manchester United in 2004

pulse-ghana admin

January 28, 2018 7:44 PM

Muammar Gaddafi was just hours away from owning 29.9% of shares at Manchester United back in 2004.

It has been revealed that ex-Libyan dictator

In 2004, John Magnier and JP McManus who owned 29.9% shares at the club decided to sell off their percentage after falling out with then Red Devils manager Alex Ferguson.

The Irish tycoons subsequently contracted Turkish-Cypriot financier Mehmet Dalman to help sell their shares to a prospective buyer.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Dalma revealed that Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi was his first point of reach as far as the subject of a takeover was concerned.

According to him, he went to Libya in a private yet in order to broker a deal with Gaddafi’s advisors to buy-out John Magnier and JP McManus's 29.9% shares in Manchester United.

"People don't realise how the [takeover] deal was a whisker away from going to Libya," Dalman told the Sunday Times.

"Gadaffi almost bought the club. That's how close it got - literally, you're talking about a few hours."

In a previous interview with the Financial Times in 2005, Gaddafi’s son, Saadi, revealed that his father had wanted to secretly buy Manchester United.

He disclosed that the Libyan dictator wanted to buy the majority of shares at the club but was keen to do it on the blind side of the media and everyone.

"Seven or eight months ago we were about to buy shares in Manchester United. We kept it secret because I thought we were going to do it. But now it's impossible,” Saadi said.

"I told my father it would be like buying the Church of England. It's very hard, maybe impossible because of the fans and the history, very difficult.

"It's a golden, golden, golden, golden club."

The takeover eventually failed to materialize after disagreements with the prising, and John Magnier and JP McManus's 29.9% shares were later sold to the Glazer family. However, Gaddafi managed to eventually buy Italian lower division side Perugia.

Gaddafi lalter died in 2011 following a chaotic battle with the National Traditional Council forces.

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