On Man Utd takeover latest: Sheikh Jassim may have just received the worst news possible
Manchester United bidder Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is facing the frustrating prospect of the Glazers putting their sale of the club on hold. With the Red Devils’ market value threatening to surge over the coming years, United’s unpopular owners have been tipped to give into temptation and perform a dramatic late U-turn.
Both Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have been made to wait months by the Glazers and Raine Group as the sale process drags on into a ninth month. Strict Premier League checks mean that new owners would not be in place for the first game of the new season, even if a deal is struck over the coming days.
There is little to indicate that an agreement is close between any of the parties, and The Daily Mail claim that a gut punch could now be heading towards the takeover hopefuls.
With the expansion of the Champions League and the Club World Cup promising to bring new revenue opportunities, it has been suggested that the Glazers would ‘prefer’ to shelve the sale process and wait for the club’s value to increase.
Such a decision would come as a cruel blow to prominent Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim, whose movements around the takeover have made it crystal clear that he and his camp are dead set on taking the reins at Old Trafford.
While Sir Jim is prepared to play the long game, Sheikh Jassim is reportedly growing impatient behind the scenes, having hoped that his promises of significant investment would make an impact on Erik ten Hag’s squad this summer.
Figures associated with Sheikh Jassim’s camp have claimed from the start that they will not pay over the odds for United, although they repeatedly raised their bid above the club’s market value. Even still, the £5billion thought to be on the table from both major players in the running falls short of the Glazers’ £6bn valuation.
Another indication of Sheikh Jassim’s desire to quickly emerge victorious came in the form of his early-June deadline, by which time he promised to pull out of the deal if a final decision had not been made.
Not wishing to ruin his takeover chances, the Qatari later backtracked on the deadline so as to remain in the running. The Glazers opting to keep one toe in the water at Old Trafford would be particularly bad news for Sheikh Jassim, given that he wants to purchase 100 per cent of the club.
Sir Jim, by comparison, is gunning for a minority stake that would see the Glazers remain in the boardroom for at least the next few years, which may be a more tempting proposal given all of the above.
Judging by repeated protests in recent years, United’s billionaire owners keeping hold of the club until the demand increases would not only be the worst possible news for Sheikh Jassim, but also for the fans themselves.
