Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim transfer budget revealed after $1bn boost

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 4 May 2023 11:51 BST
• 3 min read

Sheikh Jassim is pushing hard to have his bid for Manchester United accepted by the Glazers in a deal that would push the Old Trafford club into a new era.

Jim Ratcliffe’s bid for the Red Devils has been considered to be the strongest on the table, but according to City AM, the Qatari is ready to put another $1 billion (£800 million) forward in order to secure the purchase of the Premier League giants. This money would not go to the Glazers but would instead be put forward for investment into the club.

With Sheikh Jassim promising riches to Man Utd that would see their path towards the top of European football accelerated once more, there is naturally great excitement in the fan base over the potential of him taking over.

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Indeed, there are reports that he wishes to secure the summer transfers of Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) and Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Manager Erik ten Hag is clearly eager for the situation to be tidied up as rapidly as possible, admitting that he does not know how much money he has to spend in the summer.

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Man Utd face FFP constraints

A report in The Athletic, though, has gone some way to clear up the confusion – and it is not positive news from Man Utd’s perspective.

Indeed, it is claimed that as things stand, Ten Hag will only have around £100m to spend because of Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions. This is unlikely to move regardless of who owns the club at that point.

What could change the situation, though, is player sales. Man Utd will be able to recoup big money for some fringe players, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay and potentially even Jadon Sancho earmarked to be sold as the Ten Hag revolution continues.

Regardless, the type of figures that Man Utd are able to raise are unlikely to fund a move for a superstar like Mbappe in the summer, particularly with the manager seeking to strengthen several areas of his squad ahead of the assault on the 2023/24 season.

Sheikh Jassim may well invest big in the Manchester United squad in future, but he will be unable to do so in his first season should his takeover bid prove successful.