New Delhi: Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos are at present facing a tough time, having won the bid to buy the club from the Glazer family. They had struck a minority takeover deal that had allowed the American family to stay at Old Trafford. However, last weekend’s PR disaster, which ended with sporting director Dan Ashworth leaving the club after just five months, paints a poor picture for the club’s supporters.
For the Reds fanbase, the campaign, both on and off-field, has been tiring. It is almost a year since the takeover. However, the man who Ineos and Ratcliffe beat still has the ambition of taking over. Sheikh Jassim reportedly wanted a complete takeover of the club, and hence, the Glazers were less interested in his bid as opposed to Ratcliffe’s big to work alongside the Americans.
Sheikh Jassim’s final offer was $6bn, while Ratcliffe offered $1.6bn for a 27.7% stake. The deal also is believed to give Ratcliffe the chance to buy any future shares first if they become available.
According to the media outlet Daily Mail, Jassim still has his eyes on taking over Man United in the future. It is reported that he is a Reds fan, and his module would have seen less restructuring at Old Trafford had he won the bid. If sources close to Sheikh Jassim are to be believed, if an opportunity to buy United ever arose again, the Qatari banker would be interested, and the plans still exist regarding the same.
Sheikh Jassim submitted a fifth bid to buy 100% of Manchester United. It’s an improved bid with clear indication: take it or leave it. 🔴🇶🇦 #MUFC
There will be no more bids from Qatari group — after this Friday, Sheikh Jassim will no longer engage with the process. pic.twitter.com/yooZYUQsUC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 7, 2023
Daily Telegraph recently noted that United are looking for a long-term solution to their woes in the left-back, as injury woes regarding Luke Shaw become a permanent headache at the club. They are apparently looking at Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich and Paraguayan full-back Diego Leon. Davies will be a free agent in seven months’ time, but United will face a lot of competition for him. Leon is just 17. However, he is already attracting top Premier League clubs for him.
Who is Sheikh Jassim?
Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim is a businessman and politician from Qatar who had previously served as the nation’s fourth Prime Minister. He is one of the richest people in the world and was coined by British media as “the man who bought London”. His holdings in London include Harrods, the Shard and IntContinental London Park Lane.
He was also the foreign minister of Qatar and has also actively acted as a mediator for resolving conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. He was key to solving conflicts between Sudan and Eritrea, as well as organizing Lebanese national dialogue and bringing conflict resolution between political parties of Lebanon.
Earlier this year, he had made five bids for the Premier League club and had multiple plans set up for the club, including an announcement that all debt had been removed from the club and that United was removed from the New York Stock Exchange so that club didn’t remain answerable to foreign investors. There were also plans for new stadiums to be announced on the third day itself, which the owners of United have so far delayed.
As INEOS look for long-term solutions to their problems at Manchester United, Sheikh Jassim’s keeps close tab on the club’s situations. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
