When was the last time Manchester United bought a successful midfielder?

In an extract from his weekly newsletter, Jonathan Wilson answers your questions on club ownership, Manchester United’s midfield and the Saudi Pro League

Why do soccer teams need owners? I find it fascinating that a team’s fortunes may have nothing to do with local support and passion and everything to do with having a benevolent and competent owner – and the luck involved in your team having one or not. Why wouldn’t a fan-ownership model work? Christo

Some countries do have fan ownership: in Germany and Sweden, for instance, 51% of the club or more has to be owned by fans (there are exceptions for former works clubs such as Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen, and RB Leipzig have managed to create a membership structure that ensures Red Bull’s control), while in Spain certain clubs, most notably Barcelona and Real Madrid, have membership models, with fans voting for the president. But without a more equitable distribution model or salary caps, the club with the most or the richest fans would still dominate. And when you have the untrammelled capitalism of, say, the Premier League, it’s very hard for those member-owned clubs to compete financially.

Have a question for Jonathan? Email [email protected].

This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email [email protected], and he’ll answer the best in a future edition