The Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani have reportedly submitted a final bid to the Glazers for the takeover of Manchester United.
The offer, as revealed by the Daily Mail, is Sheikh Jassim’s fifth since the takeover process began back in February, and has been made as part of a ‘take it or leave it’ warning to United’s American owners. A deadline of Friday has reportedly been set by the Qatari group, up to which point the bid will stand – with no further negotiations to take place in between.
Indeed, Sheikh Jassim has reportedly submitted the bid directly to the Glazers and the Raine Group, the American bankers overseeing the saga. The move is an attempt to gazump the rival offer from British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has previously been reported as leading the way. His bid would allegedly allow for the continued involvement of the Glazers for an extended period, much to the hatred of the United fan base.
The take-it-or-leave-it offer put forward by the Qataris is also an attempt to put an end to the protracted nature of this takeover saga. United’s American owners have come under increasing scrutiny for their delaying of the process, with original deadlines set for the end of April. The uncertainty created has impacted the transfer strategy led by manager Erik ten Hag, as well as the club’s ability to tie down key players to new contracts.
It remains to be seen, then, whether the Glazers’ resolve is tested to the point where they accept the Qataris’ eleventh-hour offer. Should they reject the bid, which is said to be lower than their £6 billion asking price, or not respond in time, it could be a sign that they actually are leaning in the favour of Ratcliffe – and a potential prolonged stay behind the scenes.