Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim tipped to make THREE sackings

Stuart Telford

• 24 Jun 2023 07:55 BST
• 3 min read

Sheikh Jassim is the frontrunner to acquire Manchester United from the Glazer family, and the Qatari has been tipped to shake things up once in control at Old Trafford.

Man Utd's sale has been dragging on for months, and Red Devils fans have grown impatient with the uncertainty reportedly holding up some headline transfers, such as Harry Kane's from Tottenham Hotspur.

Jassim's fifth - and purportedly final - bid is believed to be in excess of £5.5 billion, which includes clearing the club's £1bn debt and a separate fund dedicated to the local community.

READ: Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim's dad drops HUGE hint

His offer, unlike Sir Jim Ratcliffe's, excludes the Glazer siblings staying involved, and is popular with a significant section of the support, and he has been tipped to throw his weight around once installed as owner.

Arnold, Murtough and Fletcher in trouble

According to the Daily Express' Jack Otway, CEO Richard Arnold, sporting director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher could all face the axe.

"While United have improved things behind the scenes since the calamitous Ed Woodward era, there's still scrutiny over several figures at the club," he writes.

READ: Man Utd make THIRD Mount bid as Fabrizio Romano says transfer is CLOSE

Regarding Arnold, it is speculated that Sheikh Jassim would rather have somebody capable of growing the Man Utd brand in the Middle East in particular, and his ties to the Glazers could work against him.

Murtough has helped complete some impressive transfers in his two years at the club, but there is a feeling United have overpaid for a number of players and the current Mason Mount saga - with United seeing a third bid rejected for a player out of contract at Chelsea in 2024, leaves room for improvement.

Finally, there is Fletcher, who operated as something a middle man between the team and its ownership in recent seasons, but with Jassim reportedly keen to have a more transparent relationship with his squad, he could become superfluous.