Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim makes decision on final bid as Glazers cling to power | Football | Sport
Sheikh Jassim has decided to launch a third and final offer to buy Manchester United, reports say. The Qatari billionaire is hellbent on ousting the Glazers and winning the race for the Red Devils. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains in the mix as the uncertainty over a potential takeover goes on.
According to Sky Sports, Sheikh Jassim remains 100 per cent committed to buying United and will be launching a third and final offer.
The Qatari billionaire has long been a supporter of the club and is prepared to spend big in order to secure the keys to Old Trafford.
The Glazers have held two rounds of bids so far, with the process being overseen by the Raine Group. However, while offers close to £5billion have been lodged, nobody has succeeded in reaching an agreement.
Sheikh Jassim is hoping the wealth of his package will be enough to convince the Glazers into selling up after 18 controversial years in charge.
However, whether that happens remains to be seen.
Man Utd takeover: Man Utd making plans for five players
“The delays will make it very difficult for any new owner to build a winning team for next season,” he said.
He wrote on Twitter: “The bidding is turning into a farce, with Glazers giving no respect to the club.
“Jim Ratcliffe, Sheikh Jassim and myself all were ready to negotiate a deal to buy United. Instead Glazers chose to start a new round.
“I will not participate in a farce set up to maximise the profit for the sellers at the expense of Manchester United.”
Last month, Sheikh Jassim opened up on his bid to buy United via a statement.
“Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani today confirmed his submission of a bid for 100 per cent of Manchester United Football Club,” the statement read.
“The bid plans to return the Club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and — above all — will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more.
“The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the Club supports.
“The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.
“More details of the bid will be released, when appropriate, if and when the bid process develops.”
Speaking recently, meanwhile, former United star Nicky Butt recently hit out at the Glazers for the way they choose to run the club.
“Obviously the owners are the big thing at United,” Butt told BBC Sport. “They have never really fit, never been visible and the fans have never really grown to them.
“If you have teams like Newcastle or City or Chelsea who keep on spending money on stadiums, training grounds and players, it’s very difficult to catch up with them.
“People keep saying how well United are doing but if they are going up, do you think City aren’t going like that in the background as well?
“You’ve still got to catch them because they aren’t standing still. Chelsea aren’t standing still. Newcastle will be like that as well.
“We don’t know what the owners are going to do. Are they going to sell the club fully and let someone come in and throw a lot of money at the fundamentals of it or are they going to ask someone to come in and help fund it?”
