Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) has issued a statement in response to the confirmation of Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe's bids to complete a takeover of the club.
Ahead of Friday evening's 10pm 'soft deadline' set by The Raine Group, who are overseeing the sale of United on behalf of the Glazers, it was confirmed that both Al Thani and Ratcliffe had submitted offers to try and purchase the club. A statement confirming Al Thani's bid outlined his plans, vowing that he would invest in all areas of the club, while INEOS' statement, outlining Ratcliffe's plans, promised to try and 'put the Manchester back into Manchester United'.
At this stage, it is unclear if any other interested parties submitted official offers ahead of the deadline, though they are widely expected to have. In response to the offers, MUST has issued a response, calling for any party who has aspirations of taking over the club to 'open a dialogue with fan groups'. They have also addressed fears concerning women's rights and anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Qatar.
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A statement issued by MUST said: "At the commencement of the sale process, MUST was very clear about our list of asks for any new owner of Manchester United. These were to restore the Club to the top of European football, invest in the teams, the wider Club and the stadium, to ensure financial stability and work in true partnership with fans at all times.
"These principles have been backed to date by 150 fan groups from all across the world. The open letter to bidders is published here.
"Any bid will be judged against these criteria, but with the news of the specific bids coming in further considerations arise.
"There are questions about sporting integrity given the exceptionally close links between some bidders and the owners of other European clubs including PSG and Nice. There are also questions about whether any bids will also be based on high levels of debt.
"We also note the importance that any owner respects the rights of all people, particularly women and the LGBTQ+ community. Concerns have been raised by other fan groups which we fully support.
"We urge all bidders to open a dialogue with fan groups alongside the bidding process with the club, in order to discuss their proposals including the above issues.
"Finally, everyone can see the progress the team is making under Erik ten Hag. After the frustrations of the last decade, it is clear that enormous strides are being taken. Any prospective bidder needs to explicitly commit to backing Erik and his plans to restore United to glory."
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