Sheikh Jassim makes U-turn on Man Utd takeover approach hours before deadline
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has decided that his final bid for Manchester United will remain on the table even if the Glazers miss Friday’s deadline.
The Qatari billionaire has been one of the main frontrunners to complete a takeover at Old Trafford since the club’s current owners confirmed their intent to sell back in January. He has lodged a succession of bids to push through a deal but faces tough competition from INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
As it stands, neither have been named as preferred bidders by the facilitators of any sale, the Raine Group. Sheikh Jassim made one final play to push himself to the front of the queue earlier this week.
He lodged a fifth and final offer for United earlier this week. He also imposed a deadline of Friday to the Glazers, whilst also confirming that he would no longer engage with the process should his bid not be accepted.
His offer was thought to be below the American family’s £6bn asking price for the club and they have no intent to agree to a deal. In a surprising turn of events, Sheikh Jassim will remain in the running regardless.
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According to The Guardian, his offer will remain on the table even after Friday’s deadline has passed. The ball would then remain in both the Glazers’ and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s courts as they consider their next moves.
Avram Glazer has until Friday to respond to Sheikh Jassim's latest offer (Getty Images)Do you think a takeover will go through before next season? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Elsewhere, a man previously linked with a takeover, Thomas Zilliacus, has claimed that he has once again pulled out of the process despite having previously confirmed his intentions to step back last month.
A post on the Finnish businessman’s Twitter account read: “XXI Century Football Capital focuses on football investments. We know how to make clubs successful and profitable and how to make fans happy. We focus on big clubs with a large fan base. We are profit oriented as only profitable clubs are successful in the long run.
“XXI Century Football Capital believes the price of Manchester United has reached levels where investments no longer make sense. We therefore have turned our attention to other clubs.”
When asked if he was still a fan of the Red Devils, he replied: “I became a fan of United when I was 11, that won't change. There are many other clubs I like; Barcelona, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, Inter etc. Investments are however made based on financial calculations, not love.”
Zilliacus then added: “Lately my name has been linked to Inter Milan. It is a great club with a fantastic history.
“The owner has however said the club is not for sale. Let's all respect that and support #Inter in tomorrow's final. I predict a narrow win for #nerazzurri.”
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