Man Utd takeover: Qataris will 'overpay' to ensure deal

Stuart Telford

• 18 Mar 2023 09:36 GMT
• 3 min read

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani will come back in with a second bid for Manchester United closer to the Glazer family's £6 billion asking price in attempt to beat Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the race to own the Red Devils.

Qatar Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe, one of the UK's richest men, both lodged bids between £4-5bn to win through to the next round of negotiations with the Glazers, who have been in ownership of the club since 2005.

But neither have been accepted outright yet, and it is understood that Sheikh Jassim is willing to pay over the odds with the chance to buy Manchester United an opportunity that doesn’t come about often.

READ: Sheikh Jassim 'favourite' to buy Man Utd

"Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani would now be 'willing to overpay' for Manchester United with a figure closer to the Glazers' £6bn price tag and will make a second bid for the club next week," report Sky Sports.

"It was previously understood the Qatari bidders were determined not to pay over the odds for the club, but that stance has softened in recent days coinciding with a delegation's visit to Old Trafford on Thursday."

Whether Ratcliffe is willing to match the Qatari bid is unconfirmed, but the Englishman is a lifelong Man Utd fan and was in attendance when they completed the continental treble under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999 with victory over Bayern Munich at Barcelona's Camp Nou.

READ: How new UEFA ownership rules affect Man Utd takeover

Champions League regulars Paris Saint-Germain are also backed by Qatar - although not directly by Sheikh Jassim - and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted to former Man Utd right-back Gary Neville recently that the governing body were looking to amend rules about multi-club ownership.

Ratcliffe also owns Ligue 1 side Nice, but they are more likely to find themselves in the Europa League - a competition United will hope to leave behind them under new ownership.