When everything suggested that it would be Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani who would become the new owner of Manchester United, the sale of the Mancunian club has turned upside down with the latest information published in England. the british newspaper The Times reports “Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos remain the favorites to take over Old Trafford in a deal that ultimately values the club at close to £6bn.”.
Although the figure is the same as that published by the Qatari daily Al Watan, from England point out that from the country of the sheikh they were issuing “affirmations and counterclaims in recent days that create even more confusion among fans.”
According to The Times, “The door has not yet been closed to any of the bidders” as “a report published on Thursday claiming that Manchester United were ‘negotiating to grant exclusivity’ to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s group was widely dismissed.” Such is the difference in information between Qatar and England that on the islands they affirm that “British billionaire seems to remain in first position”.
Although “an imminent decision on the acquisition of Manchester United is expected”, as pointed out by the Daily Mail, the sales process will go beyond the choice of a buyer, whoever is ultimately the ‘winner’. “Sources familiar with the process insist that once a deal is agreed and a single bidder enters that final approval process, it will still be some time before the sale is closed,” he reports. The Times. And it is that the so-called ‘approval process’ can take between eight and 12 weeks.
That is to say, “Manchester United is unlikely to have a new owner before the start of the new football season”. Something that, on the other hand, will not condition Erik ten Hag’s sports planning this summer.
With everything and with that, other sources close to the negotiation have declared in AFP that “there is nothing new from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani. The process continues and we are still waiting for a clear response from the sellers.” And it is that, as it collects The Times, “Qataris have been frustrated by the lack of dialogue with Raine, the New York bankers managing the sale for the Glazers”.
Instead, talks “last month” between Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Raine progressed positivelysince “the evidence that the NineTwo Foundation UK – the vehicle that Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani hopes to use to actually buy United – had been registered with the Companies Registry as well. They were classified as insignificant..