Man Utd Takeover: Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim lead the race

Manchester United’s current owners, the Glazer family have received bids from British Billionaire and chemical engineer Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Bin Thani, founder of the State of Qatar. They both have made high-profile bids to buy the Red Devils. The Glazers and the Raine Group, who represent their bank, have not yet made a decision regarding the club’s future.

In addition to these transparent ownership proposals, a number of minority investors are still awaiting word on the outcome of their attempts to acquire a stake in the team. According to a report from ESPN, other possible smaller stakeholders have submitted offers, including the American investment firm Ares Management Corporation, the hedge fund Elliott Management, and the US investment firm Carlyle. Sheikh Jassim’s offer is for 100% of the club, while Ratcliffe’s is for majority ownership that would allow the Glazers to retain partial control.

The Qatari billionaire is said to have a new offer on the table that is close to the Glazers’ £6 billion asking price. However, it appears that the talks have stopped, and the club’s supporters and employees are growing impatient with the ownership situation at Old Trafford. Considering that these minority investment offers are still up for consideration, it is unclear whether there will be new majority stakeholders on board by the start of the 2023–24 season. The rumours of the takeover resulted in a rise of almost 25% in the share price of the club.

Transfer targets

It is reported that Sheikh Jassim has big plans to bring Kylian Mbappe to the club. He is planning to prepare a world record contract and a huge transfer fee to offer to Paris Saint-Germain. PSG are looking to offload the French winger whose contract ends next year and he is not looking to extend his contract with PSG. It is still unknown where Mbappe will play next, to learn more details about the transfer saga read this article.

What’s next for Manchester United?

Manager Erik ten Hag will be concentrating on the upcoming season as Ratcliffe and Jassim fight it out off the pitch for ownership of the team. United will look to build on a successful season in which they qualified for the Champions League, won the League Cup, and advanced to the FA Cup final. After losing Cristiano Ronaldo it was a great effort from Man United to secure a top-4 finish as well as reach the finals of the FA Cup where they lost to Manchester City.