Recently, Mehmet Dalman, the Cardiff City Chairman, has been in the news for his prediction about Manchester United’s sale.
He recently said that “Manchester United are going to announce their sale at £7.2-7.3 billion, which is roughly 10 times their revenue”.
While this might look like a casual prediction from the chairman of a Championship club, it should not be taken as a throwaway statement.
That is because Mehmet Dalman is not just any club Chairman. He’s a man who has a long and interesting history with the Glazers. Here’s a deep dive into the phenomenon that is Mehmet Dalman, and why his prediction about United getting sold should be taken very seriously.
Who is Mehmet Dalman?
Mehmet Dalman is the current Cardiff City Chairman. He joined the club in 2012 and was made chairman in July 2013. However, it is his life before that which is of interest to United.
From 1997-2004, he sat on the board of German banking giant, Commerzbank. It was during this time that a certain American family by the name of Glazers were trying to take over United.
In November of 2003, this “mystery” party snapped up 12 million shares of the club as they took the first steps towards a full takeover of the club.
This deal for the Glazers was personally brokered by Mehmet Dalman, the then London Head of Commerzbank.
Dalman was also reported as a lifelong supporter of the club and paid a key role in seeing through the Glazers’ deal for Manchester United.
However, his influence at the club would not end there as the story got crazier later.
Mehmet Dalman, Muammar Gaddafi, and a failed takeover
In 2005, with the Glazers almost sealing the deal for the club, Dalman received a late bid for an interesting bidder, to say the least.
Libyan dictator Muammar al Gaddafi, who would later be killed in his homeland for the countless atrocities he committed, had submitted a late offer for the club which was to Dalman’s knowledge.
Mehmet Dalman said the people didn’t realise “how the deal was a whisker away from going to Libya”. He said it was a matter of “a few hours” and “Gaddafi almost bought the club”.
Ultimately, it fell through and Dalman successfully played a part in helping the Glazers take over the club. By 2005, he had left Commerzbank, but his connections to the Glazers were solid.
Mehmet Dalman on United takeover
Eyebrows were raised when Dalman claimed that United will be sold for about £7.2 million. After all, what would the chairman of Cardiff City know about the ins and outs at Manchester United?
However, if history is any indicator, Dalman’s relationship with the Glazers goes back a long way. If he says this statement with such conviction, then it is understandable that people’s ears perk up and they pay attention.
That is how a “throwaway” statement by the chairman of a Championship club became the biggest news about the Manchester United takeover in quite some time.