With Glazers’ soft deadline for Man Utd takeover bids looming, a Qatari banker has put in a substantial offer
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Al Thani, chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bank has declared in an official statement a bid to purchase Man United.
Will Qatari Al Thani beat Ratcliff in Man Utd takeover?
The Glazer family had put on a ‘soft’ deadline for /man Utd takeover for 22:00 GMT on Friday. Glazers expected Sir Jim Ratcliffe and a Qatari party to bid for the club.
This comes after United’s unpopular owners put the club up for sale after spending 18 years as its majority shareholders.
Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe showed interest in buying his boyhood club Man Utd last month but Al Thani is the first one to publicly announce such a bid. Al Thani released a public statement, which reads: “Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani today [Friday] confirmed his submission of a bid for 100 per cent of Manchester United Football Club.
“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.”
Moreover, there have been rumors of a Saudi Arabian party interested in making the purchase which could lead to a bidding war.
