Sheikh Jassim is said to be ‘bemused’ by reports that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has outbid him in the race to buy Manchester United from the Glazer family.
The takeover entered a critical phase on Saturday after passing the third and final deadline for offers on Friday at 10pm. Having initially been confident of their chances, the Qatari bid fronted by Sheikh Jassim saw reports on Saturday that Ratcliffe’s INEOS group had submitted a third offer which valued United at over £5billion.
Ratcliffe’s offer, which is to buy the 69 per cent stake owned by the Glazer family, also includes the option of Joel and Avram Glazer retaining a minority stake in the club. The British billionaire’s move was interpreted by many as potentially giving him an advantage over his main rival.