Man Utd takeover: Qatari bid confirmed, with key aspect of offer likely to sway fans after years of Glazer vitriol

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani wants Manchester United back on top of the footballing world after announcing a debt-free bid to buy the club.

The Glazer family purchased United back in 2005 but have never been popular owners with Red Devils’ fans. Despite investing millions of pounds in new players, the way in which they ran the club has driven a wedge between owners and supporters. They decided to explore the option of selling, with Friday’s 22:00 GMT ‘soft deadline’ for proposals put in place.

British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe outlined his plans to buy the club last month. And now a Qatari consortium has seemingly thrown its hat into the ring.

Having hosted last year’s World Cup, it seems as though Qatar wants to become a serious player in the footballing world.

And they clearly have plans to go all the way with the Old Trafford giants.

“The bid plans to return the club to its former glories,” said the Qatari consortium.

“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.”

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The ‘debt-free’ aspect of the bid will be music to the ears of United fans. Plunging the club into huge debt has been one of the main bugbears for fans during the Glazer era.

Further United bids expected

Despite slipping from the pinnacle of English football over the past decade, Manchester United is still a huge name in global football.

And that is why there are thought to be other bids being readied for the club.

There are expected to be a couple of offers from the USA while Saudi Arabia might be home to another potential buyer.

But Sheikh Jassim has laid out his consortium’s bid. The son of a former prime minister of Qatar is said to be a lifelong United fan.

And while no details on the finances involved have been released, it is clear that they are thinking big.

“The vision of the bid is for Manchester United to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world,” they added.

There may be issues surrounding the Qatari bid as Paris Saint-Germain are already owned by Qatari Sports Investment (QSI).

However, journalist Ben Jacobs has shed some light on potential problems with an in-depth analysis of the bidding process.

There is clearly still a long way to go before fans can say goodbye to the Glazers and look forward to the next era for the club.

But the news will certainly be a hot topic of conversation among fans when United host Leicester City on Sunday.

Erik ten Hag’s side sit third and are looking good for a return to the Champions League next season.

That will certainly be a huge bonus to any potential investor that takes over at the Theatre of Dreams.

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