Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani withdrew his £5 billion offer to buy Manchester United last week, which means British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now deemed favourite to purchase a minority stake of the club.
Those who were regrettably pro-Qatar since they made their intentions clear will be disappointed to hear Sheikh Jassim has no plans to re-enter talks with the Glazer family about buying Manchester United
The Qatari banker hoped to complete a full takeover at Old Trafford, but they couldn’t reach an agreement with the Glazer family.
Sheikh Jassim’s final offer was believed to be worth around £5 billion and he had pledged to clear United’s debts and invest an additional £1 billion into the transfer market. However, these add-ons were promises that meant nothing to the Glazer family.
After pulling out of the takeover race on Saturday, Fabrizio Romano claims Sheikh Jassim has ‘no current plans to change’ his stance on the matter.
Romano tweeted: “Sources close to Sheikh Jassim guarantee that his decision to leave the negotiations for Man united is 100% guaranteed and confirmed. No current plans to change that. Glazer family, already informed last week after final bid rejected.”
🇶🇦 Sources close to Sheikh Jassim guarantee that his decision to leave the negotiations for Man United is 100% guaranteed and confirmed. No current plans to change that.
Glazers family, already informed last week after final bid rejected. pic.twitter.com/cGX1unCKe0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 17, 2023
This decision led to reports that Sheikh Jassim’s withdrawal has paved the way for Ratcliffe to finalise a deal and he looks set to buy 25% or more of the club for around £1.3 billion. Reports suggest the deal will see Ratcliffe take control of the sporting operation, but it remains to be seen if INEOS eventually want a higher stake.
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