Where will the potential new owners of Manchester United put their investment towards?

With the Glazer family open to a sale of Manchester United, fans of the club may finally get their wish of the current owners leaving for good. Ever since taking majority control of the club in 2005 through a highly leveraged deal which led to the debt being placed on the club, the Glazers have been the topic of numerous protests from fans.

The family regularly took out dividends from the club starting in 2016, raking in more than £150 million. They have been the only owners of a Premier League club to do this which has severely angered United fans.

The Glazers are demanding an asking price of £6 billion from potential new investors of Manchester United. This has led to there being two rounds of bidding so far with a third and final round set to take place at the end of April.

The interested parties include Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, chairman of Qatari bank, QIB, who has already put in two bids to acquire the club. Sheikh Jassim wants full control of Manchester United and is prepared to wipe out all of the club's existing debt which is currently sitting at £535.7 million.

Also, having put in two bids and keen to buy the club in a majority purchase is British billionaire and CEO of INEOS, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe is no stranger to owning football clubs as INEOS are the owners of French club OGC Nice as well as Swiss club, FC Lausanne-Sport.

Whilst Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe want to take over at least the majority of the club, US hedge fund, Elliot Investment Management, are interested in acquiring a minority stake in Manchester United. This changes the dynamic of the sale process as it offers the opportunity for the Glazers to potentially remain in charge at United as extra financing will be provided.

Amongst the many aspects of the club that will need upgrades and investment poured into them, arguably the most crucial is the playing side. Manchester United, whilst currently enduring a relatively successful season from winning the Carabao Cup and fluctuating in the top four of the Premier League, still have a gap to close on the teams ahead of them.

With Manchester City and Arsenal competing for the Premier League title this season, they stand as the current benchmark for where Manchester United need to get to. In order for United to do so, they must prioritise strengthening the squad once more with smart recruitment and quality additions.

One of the players the club has been strongly linked to is Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Harry Kane. Kane's contract at Tottenham is set to expire in the summer of 2024, so if Spurs want to cash in on him, it must be in this upcoming summer transfer window.

Manchester United are in the market for a new striker and Kane fits the bill of a player that can help the club reach the next level and compete for the biggest honours. Despite being out of contract next summer, Spurs will still demand a hefty fee for the England captain, who recently broke his country's all-time scoring record.

It will be up to United whether they stomp up a large fee for a 29-year-old who has just a year left on his contract or whether they go in for him next year when they can sign Kane for free. What also may put United off signing Kane this summer is the prospect of dealing with Daniel Levy, the Spurs Chairman who is known for having driven high prices for his club's players in the past.

The other striker options are just as expensive though as the alternative to Kane is believed to be Napoli's Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen. The 24-year-old is rumoured to be worth well over the £100 million mark, so that may put off potential suitors including United.

The natural reaction and expectancy from Manchester United fans, if new ownership arrives by the summer, will be that of big new signings coming to Old Trafford. It will be curious to see whether new owners succumb to the hype and pressure which comes with their arrival and feel as if they must splash out on new expensive transfers.

The Red Devils having new investment will likely see them linked to every top player in the world and whilst transfers are necessary for the club at this moment in time, it is not the only area where investment is required and new owners must make sure they do not get carried away with just player acquisitions.

A large dilemma currently surrounding the club involves the stadium and future plans for it. Old Trafford is regarded as one of the most iconic stadiums ever, with it having been the scene of many great moments over the past decades.

However, a lack of investment in Old Trafford over the years and the failure of the club to invest in making it more modern and advanced has left the stadium in a sorry state. It has endured leaks from the roof, unsavoury toilet facilities, poor wi-fi service and there are no visual screens, which are more necessary now in order for fans to be updated with VAR checks.

Recently the club has been looking into redeveloping Old Trafford, however, it is not yet clear whether Manchester United will refurbish the existing stadium or knock the current one down and build a new stadium from scratch. Either way, it is set to cost the club a hefty amount, but the Daily Mail exclusively revealed a rebuild of Old Trafford could cost £1 billion as opposed to much more in £2 billion for building a new stadium.

In addition to the stadium, significant changes are required with the current training ground in Carrington as the facilities are no longer of the standard required for a top-flight team. Former players of the club such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard have spoken out on the outdated nature of the training round during their time at the club.

Investing in a new training centre would need to be a priority for new owners and whether that includes renovating the Carrington base or moving to another location, that will cost a large amount as well. This is as the club had to ditch plans to relocate previously as a move would have set them back £200 million.

In addition to supporting the men's senior team, the women's team needs to continue being developed and invested in if the club wants them to reach the levels they hoped for when the side was founded in 2018. It was already seen as a stain on United that it took them a lengthy amount of time to have a women's team, so the club has to make sure they are well taken care of in the coming years.

Manchester United's women's side has endured a very good campaign so far as they currently sit top of the Women's Super League, although they have played a game more than Chelsea and Arsenal, who are just behind them in second and third place respectively. In order for the team to maintain this success year in and year out, the women's team cannot be an afterthought.

The academy also needs to be a priority for new owners as the club has a long tradition of developing youth and having academy graduates go on to represent the first team. Current players such as Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Anthony Elanga and Alejandro Garnacho all were a part of the club's academy ranks.

Investing in the academy comes from building the best facilities and resources to help the young players to develop. They also need the right mentoring so hiring the best coaches is necessary as is getting the best scouts, as they are the individuals who clubs rely on to identify the best talent throughout the world.

The three times Champions League winning team only have to look at what rivals Manchester City have done in investing £200 million into City Football Academy, the club's state-of-the-art training centre. This has even led to former United players such as Darren Fletcher, Viv Anderson, Andy Cole, Robin van Persie and Phil Neville at various points sending their kids to City Football Academy.

If the Red Devils want to attract the best young talent to the club then they cannot just rely on its name and hope that is enough to convince young players. It is important the club starts investing in building a quality youth infrastructure where young players are convinced United is the best place for their development.

Through Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation, he is committed to investing "in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports". This promise is likely to put Sheikh Jassim as the more reliable pick for Manchester United going forward as Ratcliffe has not promised the same as of yet.

As mentioned, Sheikh Jassim is committed to clearing the club's debt and that is of importance to fans as they would not want a repeat of the Glazer era where the club's finances were very messy. Ratcliffe has made no promises yet on clearing any of United's debt but that may be something INEOS outlines at a future date.

In addition to where finances should be directed by new owners at Manchester United, improvement must also come by way of decision-making and refinement in the overall structure. Money can only take you so far and financing can go wrong if incorrect choices occur.

The club has to ensure that its next regime includes the correct and qualified people in the right positions as well as hiring the best in class, not just people associated with the club in the past. United have often looked at former players or existing staff to do a job but sentiment can only take you so far when it comes to competing at the highest level in football.

The Glazer's 18-year run in charge of Man Utd may be about to close its last chapter but until the club is officially sold, fans will be hesitant to believe they are truly gone as the sale process has been quite frustrating.

If or when the club eventually does sell to new owners, whether that be in the next few weeks, months or later in the year, that is when Man Utd must get a grip of themselves again and have its newest owners pledge themselves into taking the club towards a successful era ahead.