UK government figures speak out on Qatar completing Manchester United takeover | Football | Sport

UK government figures have reportedly welcomed bids from Qatar to buy Manchester United. The Premier League giants are set to receive fresh bids on Wednesday as offers from both Qatar and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are expected while the current owners, the Glazer family, are hoping that their £6billion valuation of the club can be met. Both Ratcliffe and a Qatari delegation sent by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani visited Old Trafford and United’s training ground complex, Carrington, as they studied the club’s financials before making a revised offer.

While Jassim was not present at the visit as opposed to Ratcliffe, he is said to be totally committed to purchasing the club despite reservations that some of the Glazers would prefer a minority investment.

One of Britain’s biggest football clubs being taken over by a Qatari figure would be significant in terms of foreign investment for the UK government and they have reportedly had their say on the matter.

Politico have claimed that UK government figures have said that they would privately welcome Qatari investment into United. A person close to the sheikh’s bid said they were “confident” there would be no U.K. government interference if the bid is successful, and pointed out that “Qatar is a close ally of the UK. Sheikh Jassim wouldn’t put himself out there if he didn’t think the bid would be successful.”

A minister with a close interest in the proposed deal said that the bid by Jassim, who is the chairman of the Qatari Islamic Bank, would be “good investment” if it came with assurances that the wider community would benefit. While a senior trade envoy claimed that Britain should “absolutely be embracing foreign investment into this country from the Middle East, whether it’s in football or green energy”.

The government has previously been criticised for its efforts to expand economic ties with Middle Eastern countries due to their poor human rights efforts, which was highlighted during the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar. Premier League clubs are expected to protest a potential Qatari takeover of United, but whether the government would be asked to involve themselves in such a matter again remains to be seen.