As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani has submitted a second offer to buy Manchester United.
The son of a former Qatari prime minister and chair of the Qatar Islamic Bank made his second-round offer late on Friday night.
Despite competing interest from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Finnish investor Thomas Zilliacus, the Qataris remain confident in their ability to successfully acquire Old Trafford.
A deadline for the submission of offers was scheduled for Wednesday at 9 p.m. prior to being changed. There were up to eight potential investors when the first round of bidding was conducted last month.
No numbers have been provided, but it is believed that one or more of the original bids were in the range of £4.5 billion. The Glazer family, which bought the team in 2005 for £750 million in a highly leveraged deal, declared last year that they were looking for “strategic alternatives,” which might include selling the club.
Sheikh Jassim sent improved bid, used extended deadline to fine tune and still feel confident to have chances to buy Man United 🔴🇶🇦 #MUFC
Investments will be on stadium, facilities and first team — infrastructures and Academy, crucial.
All groups now waiting for the Glazers. pic.twitter.com/CxNT91HzoV
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 25, 2023
According to Sheikh Jassim, his interest is a personal project through his Nine Two Foundation and is unrelated to the Qatari government. This week, he sent agents to speak with people at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe, who owns the French club Nice and attempted unsuccessfully to purchase Chelsea in 2022, recently paid a visit to Old Trafford.
The 70-year-old is a lifelong supporter of Manchester United and was born in the same region. He has an estimated personal fortune of £6 billion, making him one of the wealthiest people in Britain.
Last week, the Finnish entrepreneur Zilliacus stated that he had also made a proposal. He wants to purchase United in a partnership with their supporters, who would have a voice in the club’s decision-making.
Although it has been rumoured that American hedge fund Elliott Management has presented a proposal that would involve providing financing to either new bidders or the Glazers, little to nothing is currently known about other potential bidders.
