Man Utd takeover: Premier League OUTRAGED by Sheikh Jassim bid

Tom Weber

• Updated: 9 Jun 2023 18:03 BST
• 3 min read

Sheikh Jassim's latest takeover bid is becoming the subject of intense debate among Premier League clubs.

The Manchester United takeover saga is still dragging on. Sheikh Jassim has submitted his fifth bid for complete ownership of United and he reportedly set a deadline by which United had to accept, but new information suggests that this may not be the case.

Either way, the Qatari is still firmly in the race to become the new chief at Old Trafford, though even his latest offer is said to fall short of the current owners' valuation. The other bidders, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS Group, are meanwhile under fire in France for the way their Ligue 1 club, Nice, are conducting business.

READ: Man Utd takeover: Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS face FIFA sanctions threat

This will be Manchester United's smallest worry given the new reports that are surfacing about Jassim's new offer.

State involvement

Concerns that the Qatari state is behind Sheikh Jassim's ownership bid have been voiced ever since he first expressed his desire to take over, but those concerns are now increasing in volume, according to the Athletic.

That is because Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been thoroughly involved in Jassim's ongoing negotiations, acting as an advisor to his compatriot. Indeed, the Glazers are said to have even contacted Al-Khelaifi and asked him to convince Jassim to increase his offer.

In light of this, several Premier League clubs have reportedly made their worries about Qatari state involvement in the takeover process clear. They want the source of Jassim's wealth comprehensively investigated should he win the ownership battle, the report goes on to say.

READ: Man Utd get POSITIVE Sheikh Jassim takeover update

Moreover, the fear is that not Jassim - who was a relative unknown before this saga - but someone like the ambitious Al-Khelaifi would gain control of United in order to continue the sportswashing project he started at PSG.