Pranav Nair
Manchester United in talks to purchase A-League club Central Coast Mariners
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Manchester United are in talks to buy the licence of A-League club Central Coast Mariners. Once done, the plan is to relocate them to Syndey.
The Red Devils have already held lengthy discussions with the owner of the Australian club, Mike Charlesworth. The plan is to turn the Mariners into our sister club.
The Australian side do have affiliations with other clubs around the world. Sheffield United and Sao Paulo are affiliated with them while Everton share a player development partnership. How a potential takeover will affect these relations remains to be seen.
The Mariners are struggling financially and would benefit from United’s investment. However, the takeover displaces them from their roots in Gosford.
A club with good standing in the community, it has been argued that United’s idea to relocate them to Sydney is doomed to become a disaster. They are the first professional sports club from the Gosford region to compete in a national competition.
Despite being one of the smallest-market clubs in the league, the Mariners have claimed one A-League Championship from four Grand Final appearances and have won the A-League Premiership twice. They have also participated in the AFC Champions League five times.
Far from done!
A sale price is yet to be agreed upon. However, given United’s financial muscle, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Football Australia will have the final say on any deal being done. United’s proposal will have to first receive approval from the majority of A-League clubs.
Arch-rivals Manchester City have already dipped into the Australian market by purchasing Melbourne Heart (now Melbourne City) in 2014.
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As things stand, Liverpool appear to be the most popular Premier League side in Australia. The Merseysiders have been down under for pre-season trips and have sold out massive arenas.
United can now establish a greater presence in the continent and will hope to dethrone the defending Premier League champions from the perch.
