Man United’s latest takeover: Sheikh Jassim gets a telltale clue

Qatari bidders looking to buy Manchester United are confident they are favorites to take over the Glazers, according to new reports, but the American family is said to have yet to share whether it will sell or keep the club.

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the two main players aiming to become United’s new majority shareholder. But the takeover battle has seen little movement in recent weeks.

The Glazer family and Raine Group, who are spearheading the sale, have yet to confirm the favored offer between the two. The Glazers want around £6bn for United, but the highest bids to date have come in at around £5bn. INEOS boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made an offer that would see him keep the Glazer brothers, Joel and Avram, a 20% stake in United. Elsewhere, there are some US investment firms, such as Elliott Management, that are offering small investments to allow the Glazers to keep control, but with additional cash.

A financial report from Bloomberg says the Glazers will decide “soon” whether to sell or stay in power. The report said that if Sheikh Jassim does not hear from it soon, it is a “big indication” that the current owners are unwilling to sell.

Such a decision would go very badly with United’s fan base, the vast majority of whom want Americans to leave the club. The Glazers made their debut at Old Trafford following a leveraged buyout in 2005 and oversaw a 10-year spell without a Premier League title.

Sheikh Jassim’s personal wealth is around £900 million, but his family is worth a combined £275 billion. While Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as of May 2023, has an estimated net worth of £29.6 billion. He is president and CEO of the INEOS chemical group.

A takeover before the summer transfer window closes could allow United to make more signings from Qatar, promising to clear the club’s debts. A February statement from 41-year-old Sheikh Jassim, the son of a former Qatari prime minister, confirmed his intentions for the Red Devils.

“The offering will be completely debt-free through Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will seek to invest in the football clubs, training centre, stadium and wider infrastructure, fan experience and communities supported by the club,” a spokesperson said.

“The view of the offer is that Manchester United Football Club is renowned for its outstanding football and is regarded as the best football club in the world. More details on the offer will be released as necessary as the bidding process progresses.” will develop.”

Also…

BREAKING NEWS: Glazers sell Man United to Qatar Sheikh Jassim  for £6bn (BIG SALE IN HISTORY)

Sheikh Jassim has made a fifth offer to buy Manchester United with a clear indication: take it or leave it. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani this week made a fifth and final improved offer of just £6bn to buy Man United FC. After this Friday there will be no more offers from the Qatar group, Jassim will NOT be involved in the process anymore. This was also due to the start of the transfer window as Sheikh Jassim wanted to be ready to invest in the squad quickly. The Glazers have received the offer direct and will make a final decision shortly as they are also in talks with Simon Ratcliffe. The offer is 100% owned by the club, is fully cash and transactionally simple, would fully pay off all debts of the club and has separate additional funding solely for the club’s ongoing player, infrastructure and other investment needs. It’s up to the Glazers while talks with the INEOS group also continue, Sir Jim Ratcliffe insists on the purchase of Man United.

Sheikh Jassim is also aware that if he takes over ownership, he must offer Erik ten Hag the optimum moment as soon as possible to strengthen his selection in the transfer market. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani has decided Friday is the closing date for further involvement, meaning if the offer is not accepted, he will walk out. Sources close to him describe it as a critical moment. Copyright © 2023 Chelsea Fire | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme

Also…..

Man Utd takeover LIVE: Glazers’ Sheikh Jassim response, Kim Min-Jae transfer ‘hijack’, Amrabat admission

Lindelof, 28, emerged as a key player under Ten Hag in the latter stages of the season, deputising at centre-back after Lisandro Martinez suffered a serious metatarsal injury in April. The Swedish defender impressed alongside the likes of Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw, helping United secure a third-place finish in the Premier League and reach the FA Cup final.

The Red Devils will take on Spanish side Athletic Club in Dublin on Sunday August 6, a week before the start of the Premier League season.

They are also set to play Leeds, Lyon, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund throughout pre-season.

Previously linked with a takeover at Old Trafford, Thomas Zilliacus has (once again) confirmed that he has pulled out of the process.

He tweeted: “XXI Century Football Capital focuses on football investments. We know how to make clubs successful and profitable and how to make fans happy. We focus on big clubs with a large fan base. We are profit oriented as only profitable clubs are successful in the long run.

“XXI Century Football Capital believes the price of Manchester United has reached levels where investments no longer make sense. We therefore have turned our attention to other clubs.”

Sheikh Jassim bid to ‘remain live’

Despite the self-imposed deadline for Sheikh Jassim’s bid, it appears that the offer will remain on the table for the foreseeable future.

According to The Guardian, the Qatari will not fully walk away even if he doesn’t hear back. His offer, that is reportedly below the Glazers’ £6bn asking price, will remain live beyond today.

Glazers to respond to Sheikh Jassim

Sheikh Jassim will only have to wait a little while longer to find out if his final bid for Man United is successful.

According to Proactive, the Qatari billionaire will be told if his offer is accepted by the end of play today.

Should he not be then it is reported that he will stop engaging with the process.

McTominay opens up on Ten Hag influence

Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has hailed Erik ten Hag for his influence on the side during his first 12 months at Old Trafford.

Talking to the Red Devils’ official website, he said: “Obviously, the transition in terms of his style is very, very different to some other coaches, but, as I say, that’s football. He’s always having you thinking, and having you think about new ideas and stuff like that.

“It’s good, that’s the best way to be with football: open-minded and going into every game, if he asks you to do something, you do it to the best of your abilities and you try to learn it as best as you can. I think, for me, it’s great. I love it.”

Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has praised Bruno Fernandes for driving standards in training after revealing that the Portuguese midfielder requested extra finishing drills.

Fernandes, 28, quickly established himself as one of United’s most influential players after joining the club back in January 2020 and enjoyed a standout season under Erik ten Hag, often donning the captain’s armband in the absence of Harry Maguire.

Read what he had to say here

Foster pens new Wrexham deal

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has extended his stay with Welsh side Wrexham following their promotion.

He has put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with the EFL side.

Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has praised Bruno Fernandes for driving standards in training after revealing that the Portuguese midfielder requested extra finishing drills.

Fernandes, 28, quickly established himself as one of United’s most influential players after joining the club back in January 2020 and enjoyed a standout season under Erik ten Hag, often donning the captain’s armband in the absence of Harry Maguire.

Read what he had to say here

Foster pens new Wrexham deal

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has extended his stay with Welsh side Wrexham following their promotion.

He has put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with the EFL side.

Harry Maguire has once again made a vow to stay and fight for his place with Manchester United.

The Red Devils was expected to leave Old Trafford this summer after losing his place under Erik ten Hag last term. Tottenham were linked with a move for him.

However, according to talkSPORT he has now decided to stay with the club and fight for his role.

Man Utd lose out on Laimer

After seeing Alexis Mac Allister move to Liverpool yesterday, the Red Devils have lost out on another former target.

Former RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer has moved to Bayern Munich on a free transfer. He has signed a four-year deal.

He was previously linked with a switch to Old Trafford.

Back in January, the Daily Mail reported that Klopp had attended a meeting with Sofyan Amrabat’s representatives with a view to a transfer, but failed to get a deal done. And Ten Hag, who worked with the player at Utrecht when he was coming through the ranks, is now keen to be reunited with him at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils looked to be edging towards a move for the South Korean defender with the Italian side resigned to losing him. He looks likely to still be on the move but Eddie Howe is looking to make a late play for his services.

That is according to talkSPORT, who suggest that Newcastle are keen to bolster their defence this summer and could pay Kim’s release clause.

Manchester United are set to be impacted by VAR and offside decisions in the Premier League.

Four extra offside cameras are set to be used at every game in the Premier League next season in an effort to overcome the problem of a ‘blind spot’ in the current technology.

However, the semi-automated system that was used with great success at the World Cup will not be seen.

Take a look at the latest here

Man Utd’s takeover reality bites

The reality of Manchester United’s ownership statuts has dawned on them with a deal for Declan Rice faltering.

As it stands, the Red Devils cannot afford to sign the West Ham and England star according to The Athletic. He has a price tag of around £100m, with Premier League rivals Arsenal expected to crank up their interest over the coming days.