Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani is ‘confident’ in beating Sir Jim Ratcliffe to finally become the new owner of Manchester United as the takeover process continues to progress.
The pair are currently the front-runners to complete a deal for the Red Devils. Each have lodged bids for the club after the Glazers announced their intentions to sell in November last year.
Since then, the facilitators of the sale - the Raine Group - have decided on which parties they will progress further down the process. Face-to-face talks are now expected to take place in Manchester, as per the Mail Online, with due diligence protocols also set to be followed.
Neither Sheikh Jassim or Ratcliffe are expected to be present but that has not stopped the Qatari-backed bid from looking positively on the process. It is suggested that there is confidence in their quarters that Sheikh Jassim’s bid is currently the favourite.
It remains to be seen whether that will continue to be the case over the coming weeks with financial information set to be exchanged at Old Trafford. Following that, a period of exclusivity is expected to be granted to one interested party in an effort for a deal to be pushed over the line.
Before that, Sheikh Jassim’s bid has already been questioned by his own father, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. Speaking on Bloomberg’s The David Rubenstein Show, he said: "I am not a football fan. I don't like this investment. Maybe it will work well.
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“But you know, some of my sons like this, they always discuss it with me. They're pushing hard. This is not my speciality.
"Let me put it like this: I am an investor. If it will one day be a good investment, I will think about it. If not, I will not look at it as something you do just as an advertisement."
Ahead of that, Sheikh Jassim had already confirmed his vision for the Red Devils should he replace the Glazer family as the club’s new owner. An official statement announcing his original bid read: “The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football club once more.
“The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports.
“The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.”
