Man Utd takeover latest: Jim Ratcliffe handed UEFA boost, Glazers ‘split’ on Sheikh Jassim bid
Manchester United continue to be the subject of a possible takeover after months of talks.
The Glazers announced they were seeking fresh investment months ago, but we are not much closer to finding out United’s next owner, with talks still going on. Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim are battling it out for control at Old Trafford, while the Glazers, through the Raine Group, are discussing possible purchase terms.
As fans continue to wait for a takeover to take place, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding a possible purchase of the Old Trafford club.
Jassim ‘splits opinion’
Sheikh Jassim’s offer is said to present the biggest value at this stage, but it seems the Qatari has not convinced everyone in the Glazer camp.
The Mirror are reporting that not every member of the Glazer family agrees that the Jassim bid is the best one on the table, with concerns among some. It’s reported that the Glazers won’t go through with a sale until all involved are in agreement that they have found the right buyer.
That could be a big boost for Ratcliffe who, remember, is offering the Glazers the chance to keep shares.
Ratcliffe boost
Jim Ratcliffe has received a boost in his bid to buy United, and it has come int he form of a UEFA decision.
UEFA have decided to allow as many as six clubs with joint-ownership to compete in European competition next season, with the European authority deciding not to challenge the new trend of billionaires owning more than one club at a time. Ratcliffe currently owns OGC Nice with his INEOS company, and he is hoping to win the race to purchase United.
If he is successful, it seems as though he won’t have any issues in seeing both of his clubs competing in Europe.
Debt issue
Finance expert Kieran Maguire has been speaking about United’s current debt issues as takeover talks continue.
He told Football Insider: “If you owe money on a credit card then that restricts what you can spend on your credit card and the same is true for Manchester United. Because the Glazers have been able to borrow further money from banks, they have used other clubs as a form of interest-free credit when recruiting players.
“It’s very debatable how many of those deals have been successful, in terms of transferring onto success on the pitch. It will have a knock-on impact on the club’s ability to spend money over the course of the summer.
“United will still have a moderate budget, but if you have to repay such large sums of money in the next year or two then it has a big impact on their ability to spend.”
