da betsson： One reporter has been reacting to an “interesting” new Manchester United takeover update that could be “very promising” for the Red Devils.
Man Utd takeover latest; Ratcliffe, Jassim
da esoccer bet： The Glazers put the cub up for sale almost 12 months ago now and it looks as if the end to the takeover saga is in sight. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim have been the two main contenders to deal with the current owners, with a big development emerging on the weekend.
A Man Utd takeover involving Jassim will not materialise, with the Qatari businessman withdrawing from the process after refusing to pay more than double the club’s worth, with one source telling Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol:
"What is happening is totally unreal. The Glazers valuation is insanely fanciful. Sheikh Jassim offered them almost double the market capitalisation. He was a cash buyer, he was going to clear all their debts, there would have been no new debt and he was going to put in another £1.4 billion for the stadium and the team."
The source added:
"It’s a joke. If they just wanted to sell a minority stake, they could have done it privately last November. The market dictates what United are worth, not the Glazers or Raine. Remember when there were apparently eight serious bidders? All along there has only been one bidder for 100 per cent of the club so why should he bid against himself?"
As a result, the Man Utd takeover latest looks as if Ratcliffe and INEOS are now on course to secure a 25% stake in the club and are expected to run Manchester United's football operations as part of the deal. Reacting to the sporting decision update, reporter Alex Turk said:
“Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s initial 25% deal is premised on INEOS influence over sporting decisions, @TheAthleticFC report. Well that is… interesting… and potentially very promising news, no matter how thick your state ownership sunglasses are.”
Key Man Utd takeover updates
Date
Glazers put club up for sale
November 2022
Ratcliffe and Jassim make bids
February 2023
Glazers split on a sale
February 2023
Ratcliffe and Jassim make second bids
March 2023
Ratcliffe and Jassim make third bids
April 2023
Ratcliffe and Jassim make fourth bids
May 2023
Jassim makes fifth bid
June 2023
Are the Glazers leaving Man Utd?
At this moment in time, it appears as if the Glazers will be sticking around at Old Trafford and will remain in majority control. However, as mentioned, Ratcliffe and INEOS could soon be the decision-makers when it comes to what’s happening on the sporting side of the club, such as transfers.
Therefore, the deal would leave the Glazers in majority control, but it could turn out to be the first step in a phased takeover where Ratcliffe and INEOS eventually take a majority share. Some have been left fuming at the news of Jassim’s withdrawal, including pundit Frank McAvennie, but as Turk claims, this could be “very promising news” knowing that the new investors will be playing a big part in football decisions.