Qatari investors are set to make an offer for Manchester United and are ‘confident’ of completing a takeover at Old Trafford.
The Emir of the Al Thani family, worth a reported $335bn, will make an offer in the coming days after the club’s current owners set a mid-February deadline for takeover proposals. The Glazer family value the Red Devils at around £6bn, a figure that would prove no problem for the Qatari investors.
According to the Daily Mail, the Qataris are only interested in a full takeover and are confident their proposal will ‘blow the competition out of the water’.
The investors want to take on a new project following the World Cup staged in Qatar last winter and view United as the ‘crown jewel’ of world football. Any takeover would come alongside a need to improve the club’s infrastructure with a redevelopment or rebuilding of Old Trafford.
Issues could arise with objection to Qatari investment into English football, given concerns over the nation’s human rights record and any takeover would need to be approved by the Premier League.
Another potential stumbling block is Qatar Sports Investments’ ownership of Paris Saint-Germain. The Al Thani family bought a 70% stake in PSG in 2011, having seen a £1bn offer for United turned down. Two clubs in the same competition cannot be owned by one entity and United and PSG could meet in Europe.
