Man Utd Takeover: Xavi tips Sheikh Jassim to do brilliant job

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 14 Jun 2023 20:08 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona boss Xavi thinks Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani would make a great Man Utd owner.

Sheikh Jassim – a prominent banker and member of Qatar’s ruling royal family – looks set to go head-to-head with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the Old Trafford takeover battle.

And Xavi knows the prospective Man Utd chief from his time working in Qatar, where he took his first step into management with Al-Sadd.

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The 2010 World Cup winner discussed his relationship with Sheikh Jassim ahead of Barcelona’s Europa League last-16 tie with United back in February, backing him to succeed should he invest in the 13-time Premier League champions. Xavi said:

“I have a good relationship with the person [Sheikh Jassim] interested in buying the club [Man Utd]. He’s a serious person and I’m sure he’d do a good job.

“I know him so well. I think he’s a very good person with responsibility…I think it would be a very good option for United.”

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Clearing things up

The long-running Man Utd takeover saga seems likely to reach a conclusion soon – although it appears that a report by Qatari outlet Al Watan that Sheikh Jassim had beaten Ratcliffe was premature. Al Watan’s editorial director, Fahed Al Emadi, clarified:

“Contrary to certain media and social media reports overnight, Al Watan is not owned by Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani [Sheikh Jassim’s father and the former Prime Minister of Qatar] and Al Watan’s media report yesterday speculating about possible movement in the Manchester United takeover process was based on international media reports – as stated in the article itself, and with such news widely circulating periodically in international media for many months.”