Barcelona rejected €2-3bn from Man United’s potential new owner for 50% of club’s shares

Barcelona have always prided themselves for being a club that has been owned by fans. In modern-day football, with the emergence of state-owned clubs, being owned by the supporters is a rarity.

However, this has led to Barca enduring troubles financially over the years. Competing with European powerhouses that boast incredible monetary muscle is not easy without the influx of an external financial source.

As such, the Blaugrana have had to sell club assets and devise creative solutions to remain relevant on the competitive scene.

British billionaire Sir James Ratcliffe, who is in negotiations to purchase Manchester United, says he contacted Barça last season with an offer to spend €2-3 billion to refurbish Camp Nou and acquire 50% of the team. But the club objected to the idea.

As per The Times, Ratcliffe revealed that he advised Barcelona against selling their television rights last summer and instead offered to pay them the aforementioned figure.

“We told them, ‘Don’t do it, guys – we’ll put in two or three billion, renovate the Nou Camp and have 50 per cent ownership – and sign a deed to say we’d never sell.’ Our interest was in football alone, not making money. I think it would have worked well,” he said.

“We talked about it but, in the end, they didn’t think they could go to the fans with it. The road they are going down is a disaster. We tried to point that out and they said, ‘We know, but . . .’

“They are all short-termers [Barcelona regimes] because the president comes in, does it for five years and hands the mess over to someone else.”

Despite the appealing offer to hand over half of the club’s ownership, the Catalan giants insist on carrying on its current model.

Nonetheless, as much as Barcelona aspire to proceed to be a fan-owned club, Joan Laporta and his men have encouraged the possibility of making an income through their massive brand.

Following Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s trip to Qatar earlier this month, rumours started to circulate that the club had been handed the opportunity to launch a franchise in the top-tier tournament in the Asian country.

The deal is reportedly worth in excess of €100 million, which does not threaten the club’s ownership and simultaneously allows them to benefit financially.

Moving forward, it is expected that deals of such essence will be considered, while any offers over the club’s direct ownership will be discarded.