Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim tipped to 'move interest' to London club

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 14 Jul 2023 12:15 BST
• 3 min read

Sheikh Jassim has been tipped to make a move for Tottenham Hotspur - or West Ham - if his bid for Manchester United is unsuccessful.

Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, once the UK's richest man, remain the frontrunners to buy Man Utd having both lodged bids in excess of £5 billion, but the Glazers are yet to sell.

The American family, who's patriarch Malcolm bought the Red Devils through a debt-leveraged takeover in 2005, first invited bids last November, but there is still no conclusion with the 2023 summer transfer window already open.

READ: The Man Utd player Sir Jim Ratcliffe dismissed as 'dumb money'

Jassim's offer is that of a full takeover, with a separate fund to redevelop Old Trafford and the surrounding area, while Ratcliffe's bid would see the Glazers still involved with a minority shareholding.

It is thought the Glazer siblings are in disagreement about whom to sell to, but Jassim has been tipped to move on quickly should Ratcliffe win out.

Jassim's Premier League interest

"If [Sheiklh Jassim's bid] is rejected, then Qatar's interest in the Premier League - I assume - will move somewhere else," says BBC Sport football reporter Simon Stone.

"So that could be a Tottenham. It's been spoken about before: they've got the location, got the stadium, got the training ground. It could be a West Ham. It could be anybody."

READ: Man Utd takeover: Jassim confident of beating Ratcliffe… but not the Glazers

Middle Eastern ownership in the Premier League is already prevalent, with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in majority control of Newcastle while champions Manchester City are backed by the Abu Dhabi United Group.

United are slightly hamstrung in the transfer market this summer irrespective of whom takes over, with the Glazers not making an equity investment for the last three years, which has an impact per FFP.

The Red Devils had a £120m budget ahead of the summer transfer window, and most of that will be accounted for with the signings of Mason Mount from Chelsea and Andre Onana from Inter Milan.