New information in the ongoing negotiations regarding the prospective takeover of Manchester United have emerged, with bidder Sheikh Jassim reportedly left ‘stunned’ by the Glazer family.
The Glazers, who are still majority shareholders of United, are understood to have changed their asking price for the football club, leading to Sheikh Jassim and his party to cool their interest.
The Qatari billionaire has kept himself out of the public eye for the vast majority of takeover talks with very little actually known about the individual being rivalled by Brit Jim Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe, chief of INEOS, has been pictured arriving at Old Trafford for negotiations in the past whilst Sheikh Jassim is believed to be losing patience.
According to El Pais, Sheikh Jassim was left ‘stunned’ after the Glazers changed their initial asking price of £5.2billion to closer to £6billion, causing the Qatari billionaire to take a step back from negotiations.
Four bids have been submitted by Sheikh Jassim thus far with the latest understood to have been tabled on Tuesday. The offer has been described as a ‘take it or leave it offer’ although there are murmurs that a fifth and final bid could be made.
Ratcliffe does remain in the picture though, and is believed to be planning to keep on Glazer brothers Joel and Avram in minor roles should he take over at Old Trafford.
Should a takeover be completed before the start of the 2023/24 season, it is highly like that the new ownership will be taking over a Champions League club with Erik ten Hag’s side in touching distance of securing a top four finish ahead of Liverpool.
United secured a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth thanks to an audacious scissor kick from Casemiro on Saturday afternoon and will need to take just one point from their final two Premier League matches at home to Chelsea and Fulham to secure their place in Europe’s elite competition next term.
Additionally, a second trophy could be lifted this season, with the Red Devils set to partake in the first ever Manchester derby FA Cup final against Manchester City on 3 June.
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