Manchester United is close to being sold to Qatari investor Sheikh Jassim as the club has entered into exclusive negotiations with the Qatari consortium.
Sources close to the club say that the club is close to being sold for more than a 6 billion dollar figure. The Glazer family, who own the club since 2005, would be cashing out with the enormous fee. They first put the club up for sale in November of last year.
After three rounds of bidding, it was reported that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the other candidate was the preferred buyer to Glazers. But Shiekh Jassim gave a take it or leave it offer to convince the Glazers to choose them. And it seems to have finally worked in their favor.
Qatari consortium to be granted exclusivity
The Glazer family is now preferring Sheikh Jassim’s bid over Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s one. The club is considering giving exclusivity to Sheikh Jassim’s camp to continue talks.
For the exclusivity period, Manchester United would not be permitted to deal with any buyer other than Sheikh Jassim. This means no other candidates including Sir Jim Ratcliffe can hold talks with the club. During the exclusivity period, they will work out the final details of the sale and if required, make an improved bid. It is unknown how long this time will last.
According to the sources, the situation is still uncertain, and a new improved proposal from Ratcliffe might prevent Sheikh Jassim from obtaining exclusivity. The Qatari consortium is yet to comment on the matter, but the club has denied the reports in an obvious attempt to get Sir Jim Ratcliffe to improve his offer.
Manchester United sale saga reaches key milestone
The Qatari bid was made last week and Sheikh Jassim was clear that it would be his last one. If rejected, he said that he will not further engage with the club beyond that. The statement was understandable considering the Glazers still haven’t picked a winner despite months of negotiations.
Currently, Manchester United are in trouble regarding the ownership of the club. As the Glazers have still not clarified whether they will sell the club and if so to whom. This has impacted the transfer strategy of the club as they are unclear whether they can spend the money needed to reinforce the squad for next season.
The news that the club is close to a final sale definitely helps the fans relax. Many reports, such as the Manchester World, report that the new owner will be announced this week.
Reports from Qatar have also gone on to say that the takeover bid has been accepted. This led to many believing the club has been finally purchased by the Qataris. There has also been a significant rise in the share prices of the club following the news.
It is said that Sheikh Jassim and his camp are very eager to get the takeover deal done. He is ready for the summer transfer windows, with big plans for the club.
🚨 Manchester Utd and Paris Saint Germain WILL have talks for Neymar and/or Mbappe to move to #mufc. This is only IF Shiekh Jassim's takeover becomes successful pic.twitter.com/gouxSYgus8
— Electro Sports (@ElectroSportsFC) June 9, 2023
Apparently, the Qatari investor will look to bring in Neymar Jr from Paris Saint Germain. Further recent reports also suggest they will try to move in for Kylian Mbappe, who is looking for a way out of the club.
In the coming week or weeks, we could see a new owner in Manchester. A new era will begin for the Reds as they will certainly be strengthened if Shiekh Jassim indeed wins the bid.
