Class of 92-owned Salford City exploring further investment as it languishes in League Two relegation battle | OneFootball

It is the season of exploring strategic alternatives for clubs in and around Manchester, it seems.

After Sir Jim Ratcliffe finalised his 25% stake in Manchester United, another club with tangential ties to United is looking for further investment.

BBC Sport reports that Salford City, the club majorly owned by United’s famed Class of 92, is now open to outside investment in exchange for a stake in the club.

Nicky Butt, the current Chief Executive of Salford, said: “We are backing Salford City with as much commitment and confidence as ever.

“We have achieved very special things here but there are major opportunities in front of us and we want to make sure we have the right mix of investment and strategic partners to take advantage of those opportunities.

“We had an original 10-year plan and with strong foundations now in place, it was always the intention to explore options for the next phase. That includes potentially bringing in new partners to help us grow the club and best serve the fans and community.”

Currently, the former United players own a 60% stake in the club, with Peter Lim, Valencia’s unpopular owner, owning the rest 40%.

They took over the club when it was in the Northern Premier League First Division, the seventh tier of English football.

Currently, Salford are 19th in League Two, the fourth division of English football although they are in danger of being relegated back to the fifth division.

When the United legends bought a stake in the club, they had ambitious plans for it and they have been successful to some extent.

Average attendances have increased by more than 15 times what they were earlier but the club looks to have hit a brick wall now.

Former United academy coach Neil Wood was fired this season for his underperformance and new man Karl Robinson hasn’t been much better.

However, they at least look capable now of avoiding relegation back into non-league, which would have had disastrous consequences for a club that has spent much to reach this level.

It can be expected that Lim and the Class of 92 get a good return on their investment since the club is now at a proper, professional level of football.