Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim is reported to have made a world record bid to buy Manchester United in the third round of bidding.
According to Sky Sports, the 63-year-old has offered £5 billion to take full control of the club from the Glazer family. The report states that Sheikh Jassim joined the third round of bidding with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, making their bid just minutes before the deadline of 10 pm on Friday. Sheikh Jassim is a member of the royal family with an estimated net worth of around £270 billion.
Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol said, “The bidding took place very close to the deadline, with a value of over £5 billion. The important thing is that, in addition to giving that amount to the Glazer family, Sheikh Jassim said that there is another major source of funding to strengthen the Manchester United team, improve infrastructure including the stadium, and invest in the local community.”
“People close to Sheikh have told me that they believe this is the best bid, there is no other bid close to this price. It is about owning 100% of Manchester United, with no debt, and the money will not only be provided to Erik Ten Hag but also to improve the infrastructure around the club, as Man City has done in Manchester. They believe that this is the best bid, the final bid they will make. Now it all depends on the Glazer family, whether they are really serious about selling Manchester United at a world record price. It is not just a special thing for them and they will see a lot of profit, but Qataris also believe that this is the best offer for the benefit of Manchester United,” Solhekol added.
Sheikh Jassim’s move is in stark contrast to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who recently made a surprise move by saying he would only hold a 50% stake in the club, paving the way for Avram and Joel to retain about 20% of the control shares. The remaining 30% of the shares will belong to other groups. This offer may be attractive to Avram and Joel, who have been at odds with other members of the Glazer family over whether to sell all or just a small part of their stake in MU.
Reports suggest that among the Glazer siblings, Avram and Joel are the ones who are aiming to stay at MU in some form despite strong opposition from fans, who have been holding regular protests against the American billionaire family since they took over MU.
Soure: newssport