Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim ponders HUGE last-minute bid

Tom Weber

• Updated: 12 May 2023 21:23 BST
• 3 min read

The INEOS takeover of Manchester United, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, appeared almost set in stone, but reports claim that Sheikh Jassim could still make an 11th-hour bid that will force the Glazers to reconsider.

It looked for all the world as though Sir Jim Ratcliffe had succeeded with his takeover bid after the final round of bidding. Indeed, the INEOS valuation of Manchester United as well as the fact that the Nice owner gave the much-maligned Glazer brothers the chance to retain a stake in the club, made Ratcliffe the obvious choice.

The Qataris, meanwhile, wanted a full, 100 per cent buy-out, which has always been an unattractive proposition to the Glazers. Plus, according to the Times, the offer from Sheikh Jassim and company clocked in below the stated valuation of €5.8 billion (£5bn), making it pretty much unacceptable.

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Nevertheless, the Qataris may yet make another last-minute move to hijack Ratcliffe's apparently imminent takeover.

Down but not out

Though it is believed that United and the intermediary Raine Group are set to enter into final negotiations with Sir Jim Ratcliffe soon, there is hope for those Manchester United fans who want to see the back of the current American owners for good.

Indeed, the Times also reports that the Qataris believe that they are still fully involved in the takeover process and that, though success seems unlikely, they still have a chance to convince the current ownership to relinquish their stake entirely.

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At this moment in time, however, a fresh bid is only a consideration. There is no telling whether a last-minute attempt to swoop in will actually materialise. Given that the initial 'final' offer fell short of the Glazers' valuation, Sheikh Jassim would have to significantly increase the money he would need to part with for his supposed 11th-hour proposal.