According to reports, the chosen bidder for Manchester United will be announced next week, with Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe due to discover their fate.
The takeover process has been ongoing since November, when the Glazers announced their intention to sell the 20-time English champions.
Various sources indicated that Ratcliffe had lately climbed to the front of the takeover queue, but Sheikh Jassim‘s current offer, which arrived last week, seemed to have put the Qatari firmly back in the race.
However, there are significant variations in the proposals, with Ratcliffe seeking merely a controlling position at the moment, with a full takeover potentially occuring after three years, when he would, in principle, purchase the remaining portion owned by the Glazers.
Sheikh Jassim, on the other hand, wishes to complete a full takeover, and the financier has purportedly stated that he intends to invest considerably in Old Trafford and the club’s training facility.
The long-awaited decision on the preferred bidder, according to the Daily Mail, will be announced by the end of next week.
According to the article, representatives of Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe are now in talks with Raine Group, which is supervising the selling process on behalf of the Glazers.
Sheikh Jassim’s newest bid, valued at roughly £5 billion, is claimed to be on the table, despite reports that it would be withdrawn if he did not hear back by Friday.
Ratcliffe’s bid is thought to be more valuable than Sheikh Jassim’s, but the Glazers are expected to remain as minority shareholders under Ratcliffe’s proposal.
It was reported at the end of last week that Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was involved in Sheikh Jassim’s effort to purchase the Red Devils.
The Glazers are alleged to have contacted the PSG president in an attempt to increase Sheikh Jassim’s offer, but the 49-year-old has denied any involvement in the process.
The process was supposed to be completed before the start of the summer transfer window, but that will no longer be the case.
Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus was also rumored to be in the race, but he has now officially withdrawn.
Man United had a good 2022-23 season, finishing third in the Premier League and winning the EFL Cup, as well as reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League and the FA Cup final.
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