Sheikh Jassim’s Man Utd takeover stance after Glazers household’s ‘inner talks’ over sale
The Glazers are weighing up whether to sell their stakes in Manchester United, but Sheikh Jassim is unlikely to join forces with Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sheikh Jassim’s takeover stance has been revealed(Image: PA)
Sheikh Jassim is unlikely to team up with Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the Glazers consider offloading their holdings in Manchester United.
The billionaire Qatari politician, full name Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, spearheaded a Qatari attempt to purchase the Premier League giants in 2023. This preceded controversial INEOS chief Ratcliffe acquiring a minority shareholding and taking charge of football operations, while the unpopular majority owners, American family the Glazers, remained in a reduced capacity.
Jassim had allegedly submitted multiple offers, including a proposal worth approximately £4.5billion before withdrawing. In October last year, The Mirror reported the Glazers would only entertain bids exceeding £5bn should they decide to sell their holding in the club.
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More than two years after disposing of a minority stake to Ratcliffe, Glazer family members are considering whether to sell their shares in the club, according to Bloomberg.
The US business network reported that preliminary discussions focused on the potential sale of individual holdings and that some family members had urged their relatives to do likewise, reports the Mirror.
Presuming Sheikh Jassim’s position remains unchanged, purchasing a minority stake in the club would not appeal to him. It would also be difficult to envisage him collaborating with former takeover competitor Ratcliffe, even as a majority shareholder.
Sheikh Jassim’s choice to maintain a low profile led to doubts about his very existence. Ratcliffe even chimed in, stating: “Nobody’s ever seen him, actually. The Glazers never met him. I’m not sure he exists.”
However, the Daily Mail reports that Sheikh Jassim had ambitious plans for the club, including wiping out the debt, constructing a new, fully funded stadium, freezing ticket prices and boosting investment in the women’s team.
His consortium, it is alleged, would not have embarked on the brutal cost-cutting measures implemented by Ratcliffe’s INEOS group.
A source confided to the Mail in 2024 that there was a hint of regret from the Qatari group about failing to seal the deal. They said: “In an ideal world, then maybe we paid a little more to get it done.
“But we had already done that on a number of occasions. We felt like we were being used and the goalposts continually changed. We felt like we had already gone above and beyond.”
The pressure on Ratcliffe has eased somewhat over the past six months, while United have been making positive strides on the pitch.
Following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim in January, which set the club back nearly £17m in compensation, Michael Carrick spearheaded a revival that saw United clinch third place and secure Champions League football.
United’s transfer activities have also seen a boost, with new signings such as Senne Lammens, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko having successful seasons.
United have already taken action since the season’s end, with Brazilian midfielder Ederson set to join from Atalanta.
