Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer increased his controlling stake in Manchester United on Friday when he bought shares of the world's richest soccer team from two senior club officials.
Chief executive David Gill sold his 11,535 shares to Glazer's Red Football Ltd. at a price more than three times what he paid for them, the London Stock Exchange said. Nick Humby, the club's finance director, also sold his 2,546 shares to Glazer at a profit of about 35 percent.
Glazer became majority shareholder of Man United on May 16 in a $1.47 billion takeover, most of it borrowed money. He already owned more than 76 percent of the shares before Friday's purchase.
Glazer is offering to buy out all remaining shareholders and hopes to take the club off the stock market by June 22.
The move came on the same day that The Times of London reported that Glazer plans to raise ticket prices by 54 percent over the next five years. The newspaper based its front-page report on "previously unseen documents" outlining Glazer's plans to increase revenue at the club. The paper said the cost of tickets for Champions League games next season would go up by 25 percent.
The Times also said that Manchester United will play an exhibition game every year in Tampa, Fla.