Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim tables improved second bid with Qataris confident on offer

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani’s team have submitted a second bid to buy Manchester United – which they believe is the best offer for the club and the community.

The Qatari businessman was among the first parties to express an interest and, like Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has upped his opening bid this week, as per the Daily Mail. United had been seeking second bids during the week, but opted to extend their 9pm deadline on Wednesday to give potential buyers more time.

Jassim’s representatives are confident they can get a deal over the line, despite reports claiming they would not pay silly money for the Premier League club as the Glazers look to maximise their profits. The Americans are thought to be eyeing around £6bn if they are to walk away from the club – a figure thought to be unrealistic given the money needed to be spent on the club’s infrastructure.

A minority investor is also an options for the Glazers with US hedge fund Elliott Management making an offer, whilst they’ve also stated they are willing financing to other parties interested in investing in the Red Devils.

State ownership is a divisive topic and the likes of Gary Neville have greatly opposed it. The Premier League however would likely be powerless to stop any sale given the Abu Dhabi involvement at Manchester City and the Saudis arriving in Newcastle last season.

Finish businessman Thomas Zilliacus has come to the table with his own unique offer, backed by his XXI Century Capital fund. He wants to give fans involvement in the ownership, but has also talked up buying United with the two men currently opposing him.

He said in a statement: “I have appealed to my two main rivals, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim, to join forces with me so that we buy the club together and that way channel more money to the club for everything from player acquisition to stadium upgrades.

“I however have not received any reply, so XXI Century Capital has increased its bid. We believe our offer, which includes fans involvement in never before seen ways as well as values that the future of the club will be built on, is the best for the club and its fans.

“We continue to receive strong support from the fans, who say they want to see our bid win. I continue to hope that we could work together with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheik Jassim to improve the club, but as we have received no replies XXI Century Capital sees no other option than to increase its own bid.”