LONDON: Manchester United’s owners were awaiting fresh bids Thursday from a Qatari banker and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe after a deadline passed for revised offers to buy the Premier League giants.
Reports said bidders were initially told they had until 2100 GMT on Wednesday to submit new offers, but that has now been extended. It is unclear when the new cut-off will be.
Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber AI Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, and Ratcliffe, the founder of chemicals giant INEOS, remain the front runners should the American Glazer family, who own United, give up control of the club.
Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus threw his hat into the ring on Thursday, with a bid he said will give fans the chance to own 50 percent of the club.
“My bid is built on equality with the fans,” Zilliacus, founder and chairman of investment company Mobile FutureWorks, said in a statement.
“My group will finance half of the sum needed to take over the club, and will ask the fans, through a new company that is being set up for this specific purpose, to participate for the other half.”
The Glazers have angered many United supporters by saddling the club with huge debts since they took over in 2005. They appeared ready to cash out at an enormous profit when they invited external investment in November.
However, they could yet shun the option of selling a controlling stake in the club, with other parties understood to be interested in a minority shareholding.
The Times reported US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management, which sold AC Milan for $1.3 billion last year, had made a bid to buy a minority stake.
A first round of bidding took place last month and it has been reported there are as many as eight separate potential investors in the club.
The BBC said several other proposed investors made their submissions by the Wednesday deadline.
No figures have been revealed but one or more of the initial bids was understood to be in the region of £4.5 billion ($5.5 billion).
That would make Manchester United — who have not won the Premier League for a decade — the most expensive sports club in history, although it would be short of the £6 billion valuation reportedly placed on the Old Trafford side by the Glazers.
Sheikh Jassim is bidding for 100 percent control, aiming to return the club to its “former glories.”
A source close to Sheikh Jassim’s bid told AFP he remains confident his bid is “the best for the club, fans and local community.”
Ratcliffe, a boyhood United fan, wants to buy the combined Glazer shareholding of 69 percent of the 20-time English champions.
The 70-year-old told the Wall Street Journal this week he was not interested in paying “stupid prices” for one of football’s most iconic clubs.
Ratcliffe, who already owns French club Nice, said his interest in United would be “purely in winning things,” calling the club a “community asset,” rather than a financial one.
He visited Old Trafford last week along with INEOS representatives, a day after a delegation from Sheikh Jassim’s group toured the club’s stadium and training ground.
A Qatari purchase of United would boost the sporting profile of the Gulf state months after it hosted the 2022 World Cup.
Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City’s fortunes have been transformed since a takeover from Sheikh Mansour, a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, in 2008.
In 2021, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund bought a controlling stake in Newcastle.
Amnesty International has called on the Premier League to tighten ownership rules to ensure they are “not an opportunity for more sportswashing.”
If Sheikh Jassim’s bid succeeds, it would also raise the question of whether Qatar is shifting its attentions away from Paris Saint-Germain — currently home to the trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe — who were bought by Qatari investors in 2011.
United, three-time European champions, have not won the Premier League since Alex Ferguson led them to a 20th English title in his final season before retiring in 2013.
But they are enjoying a renaissance under Erik ten Hag’s management this season and ended a six-year trophy drought by lifting the League Cup last month.
Man Utd owners await revised offers for Premier League giants
https://arab.news/nqwj7
Man Utd owners await revised offers for Premier League giants
- Reports said bidders were initially told they had until 2100 GMT on Wednesday to submit new offers, but that has now been extended
- Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad AI Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, and Ratcliffe, the founder of chemicals giant INEOS, remain the front runners
Mbappe, Vinicius help Real Madrid thrash Monaco in Champions League
- “The players won this game, with their effort and their quality,” Arbeloa told Movistar, after the record 15-time champions moved provisionally second in the league phase table
MADRID: Kylian Mbappe struck twice against his former side Monaco as Real Madrid romped to an emphatic 6-1 Champions League victory on Tuesday to ease tensions around the club.
Vinicius Junior, who was jeered by his own fans during a home win over Levante last weekend, also shone and scored a brilliant goal as Madrid strengthened their bid to claim a top eight finish in the league phase.
New coach Alvaro Arbeloa secured a second win at the helm after replacing Xabi Alonso last week, with his team producing a dazzling attacking display to help fans forget recent disappointments.
Jude Bellingham and Franco Mastantuono were also on target for Los Blancos and Thilo Kehrer bundled a Vinicius cross into his own net as Madrid delivered perhaps their best performance of the season.
“The players won this game, with their effort and their quality,” Arbeloa told Movistar, after the record 15-time champions moved provisionally second in the league phase table.
“I loved their attitude and their quality, this mentality and ambition is what all Madrid fans want to see.”
There were still a few boos for Vinicius at the start but they dried as he reminded Madrid’s fans how good he can be.
“The last few days have been very complicated, for all of us, but above all for me because of the whistles, and everyone speaking about me,” said Vinicius.
“I try to give everything for this shirt and for the club who have given me so much.”
Mbappe has been in superb form even as Madrid have struggled and stretched his lead at the top of the European goalscoring charts with his 10th and 11th goals to give his team a commanding lead.
After missing the Copa del Rey humiliation by Albacete in Arbeloa’s disastrous first game, Mbappe has netted in the next two matches.
It took just five minutes for the French superstar to open the scoring, slotting home from just inside the area after Fede Valverde knocked on Mastantuono’s cut-back.
After celebrating with his team-mates Mbappe apologized to the visiting supporters, having first emerged into the world’s spotlight while at Monaco.
Ansu Fati, on loan at Monaco from Madrid’s rivals Barcelona, came close before Arbeloa’s side struck again.
They launched a devastating counter-attack, with Eduardo Camavinga’s clever flick to Arda Guler sparking the move. Guler found Vinicius, who span the ball across for Mbappe, just onside, to tuck home.
Despite being shredded defensively, Monaco offered some attacking threat and Jordan Teze hit the crossbar with a well-guided long range effort.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also made a couple of solid saves before the break, with Madrid’s third coming shortly after the action resumed.
Vinicius, heavily involved, unselfishly teed up former River Plate playmaker Mastantuono, who swept home.
‘This is my Vinicius’
After 55 minutes Madrid had four, with Kehrer turning Vinicius’s raking low cross into his own net as Monaco crumbled.
Arbeloa has only had words of praise for Vinicius since taking over and the forward rewarded his coach with a hug after ramming in the fifth.
Vinicius fired into the top corner past helpless goalkeeper Philipp Kohn for only his second goal in his last 19 matches for the club.
“This is my Vinicius,” said Real midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. “When we play well, the people that come here are very happy. Today was a very good night here in the Bernabeu.”
Teze pulled one back for Monaco after a mistake by Dani Ceballos, before Madrid struck again to round off the rout.
Bellingham rounded the goalkeeper to net in the 80th minute after Dean Huijsen cleverly dummied Valverde’s pass.
The England international celebrated by chugging several imaginary drinks, an apparent riposte to claims he is fond of the nightlife in Spain, while Madrid’s heavy win offered their own response to the turbulent period they are in.
