As reported by The Guardian, the emir of Qatar wants to buy Manchester United without giving up his ownership of Paris Saint-Germain.
Clubs with the same owners are prohibited from competing in the same competition by UEFA regulations. This raised concerns about the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and his ability to participate in a bid for an English club that might compete in the Champions League next season while also holding PSG through Qatar Sports Investment.
The Glazer family has reportedly set a soft deadline of mid-February while seeking upwards of £6 billion for United, which has been on the market since November.
Although there are other potential buyers, including Britain’s richest man, Jim Ratcliffe, a Qatari consortium has already talked with the current owners in preparation for future investment.
The emir is reportedly not interested in owning a small portion of the Premier League team. The same source claims that even if United and PSG had a common owner, they would be managed by separate organisations.
With QSI in charge of PSG at the moment, Nasser Al-Khelaifi is now the club president. The 49-year-old has frequently discussed club issues, including the most recent contract talks with World Cup champion Lionel Messi.
The clubs’ continued control by distinct organisations and individuals would need to be established before they could participate in the same European competitions.
Similar arrangements have been made with RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg, two teams that not only shared Red Bull Group as an owner but also competed against one another in the 2018–19 Europa League group stage.
According to reports this week, there are four potential takeover bids. Parties from Saudi Arabia and the United States are reportedly involved, along with Qatari interest and a bid involving Ratcliffe.
