LGBTQ+ activist concerned by potential Qatari takeover of Man Utd
Sheikh Jassim cooled negotiations with the Glazers earlier in the Manchester United takeover process, according to reports. The Qatari billionaire is eager to purchase the Red Devils, despite facing strong competition from Sir Jim Ratcliffe. And while the saga is approaching an endpoint, it’s still unclear what the Americans will ultimately end up doing as they cling to power at Old Trafford.
El Pais have claimed that, back in March, Sheikh Jassim was left ‘stunned’ after the Glazers changed their asking price for United.
They had previously indicated to the Qataris they were willing to accept an offer in the region of £5.2billion in order to pack their bags and leave for good.
However, Sheikh Jassim was then rocked when the family decided to up their demands to nearly £6bn instead.
It’s claimed this forced him to cool negotiations with the club, with the Qatari billionaire concerned about how the situation was playing out.
Lines of dialogue are open again now, however.
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Sheikh Jassim has tabled four bids for United so far, with his latest coming earlier in the week on Tuesday.
It has been described as a ‘take it or leave it bid’, though there have also been murmurings he may yet return with a fifth and final offer.
Ratcliffe remains in the picture, with the INEOS chief prepared to let brothers Joel and Avram Glazer stay at United in reduced roles.
But Sheikh Jassim isn’t throwing in the towel and remains determined to own a Premier League club, amid links to the likes of West Ham and Tottenham as well.
The Glazers are adamant they won’t just sell United for any price.
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And they apparently ‘reconsidered’ their asking price for the club due to Chelsea being sold to Todd Boehly for £4.25bn last year.
Sheikh Jassim seems to be the most popular takeover candidate for United fans, with many backing his bid.
But the Glazers have never shown much respect to those who follow the Red Devils and that’s unlikely to come into their thinking.
United remain in a state of flux as the end of the season rapidly approaches.
Yet they’re poised to be playing in the Champions League next season following a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.
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With a place in the top four all but sealed, United are likely to embark on a summer spending spree.
And the report says the club are willing to spend in the region of £434million on fresh faces, regardless of who rules the roost.
Meanwhile, speaking recently, ESPN journalist Mark Ogden claimed Sheikh Jassim could look to buy Tottenham if he fails to purchase United.
“PSG was a great move [for the club’s Qatari owners] because it’s Paris, it’s a great city, but I think they’ve found over the years that Ligue 1 is just not big enough,” he said.
“They want the Premier League footprint.
“Somebody told me recently, they said that if the Qataris don’t buy Manchester United, they’ll be back and they might end up buying Tottenham.
“He said, look, if you’ve got Manchester City owned by Abu Dhabi, you’ve got Newcastle owned by Saudi Arabia, if Qataris maybe buy Tottenham, then you’ve got three clubs who can pull away.
“Every year, it would be United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal fighting for fourth spot, which is quite a terrifying prospect for [them].”
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