- Man United have reportedly held talks with Disney over a documentaries deal
- The series would focus on the club’s success under Sir Alex Ferguson
- Coventry’s epic comeback is what the FA Cup is all about – we don’t need to change it – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
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Piers Morgan has hit out at Manchester United following reports that the club are engaged in talks with Disney over a multi-million-dollar documentaries deal that will focus on their historical success under Sir Alex Ferguson.
According to The Athletic, United are looking to strike a deal with the US streaming giants, but the proposed documentaries would not include coverage of their current plight.
Instead, it would look back on Ferguson’s 26-year stay at Old Trafford that saw the club win 13 league titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League on two occasions.
And Morgan is clearly not impressed as he reacted to the news by posting on X on Tuesday morning: ‘Mickey Mouse club – official’.
His dig at the Red Devils appears to be due to their reluctance to commission a documentary that focuses on their struggles since Ferguson retired in 2013.
United have failed to win a league title in the past 11 years, and have endured a miserable campaign with Erik ten Hag at the helm this year.
They currently sit seventh in the Premier League and were knocked out of Europe before Christmas, although they have booked their place in a second successive FA Cup final after edging past Coventry on penalties in Sunday’s epic semi-final at Wembley.
It is understood that talks have been ongoing for two years between United and the US streaming giants, and a deal is yet to be agreed to due to the Red Devils holding out for improved terms.
United were offered better terms when discussions first began, and are looking to maximise the revenue from a potential deal as they aim to adhere to the Premier League‘s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Erik ten Hag was unable to make any signings in January due to United’s tight budget, and the club are now looking to diversify their revenue streams under new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The proposed documentaries would include considerable interview time with Ferguson, who still regularly attends United matches despite leaving the dugout 11 years ago.
Club ambassadors such as Bryan Robson and Peter Schmeichel are also expected to give their insight if the documentaries deal is given the green light.
The Disney documentaries could follow on the back of a one-off Amazon documentary on United’s Treble-winning season in 1998-99 that is set to air later this year for the 25th anniversary of the achievement.
A trailer was released earlier this month to give a sneak peek of what to expect, with David Beckham admitting that he worried he would never be able to play in England again after getting sent off at the 1998 World Cup for kicking Argentina’s Diego Simeone, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confessed he felt sick before his Champions League heroics at the Nou Camp.
Disney’s Welcome to Wrexham series, which follows the success of the Welsh club owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has been a massive hit with fans.
Striking a deal would also likely be a major coup for the streaming giants.
Prior to their documentary deal with Amazon, United had steered clear of being followed by behind-the-scenes cameras.
But they could now emulate other major clubs including Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Juventus who have all had documentaries commissioned by Amazon in recent seasons.
However, United’s documentaries would be different as they would look back on their glory days rather than giving an up-to-date account of how the club is being run behind the scenes.
