Manchester United could be taken over by Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
Manchester United could be taken over by Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani after he unveiled himself as the man who had put forward a bid in the region of £4-£5billion to buy the club. And his family’s wealth puts Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to shame as they are worth just over 300 times more than the blockbuster players combined.
United boss Erik ten Hag could be set to receive a transfer windfall if Sheikh Jassim is successful with his approach. And the Dutchman is unlikely to be required to watch the pennies if the wealth of the Qatari family is anything to go by.
Sheikh Jassim, who is the head of Qatar’s biggest bank, is a member of the Gulf state’s ruling Royal Family. And according to The Sun, they are estimated to be worth around £278bn. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is currently worth £407m, while Messi is worth £515m.
Sheikh Jassim, 41, was educated at Sandhurst military academy in Berkshire and says he has been a lifelong United fan. His father Hamad was Qatar’s prime minister between 2007 and 2013 – and Hamad’s great uncle founded modern Qatar in 1971.
Manchester United could be taken over by Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani (Image: GETTY)
His father (pictured right) is the former Prime Minister of Qatar and has a net worth of over £1bn (Image: Getty)
The Red Devils have been up for sale since last autumn, with the Glazer family willing to listen to offers to buy the club outright as well as offers to merely invest in a minority stake. And on Friday night, a statement issued on behalf of Sheikh Jassim read: “The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more.
“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. The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.”
The Qatari banker’s family is worth 300 times more than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi combined (Image: GETTY)
Sheikh Jassim is set to face rival bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group as well as Saudi Arabian and American investors. And Ten Hag gave his thoughts about the impending takeover earlier in the week.
“We are following it – it’s our club,” the Dutchman said. “Of course, we are committed but we are focusing on football, on training and our way of play, and games. Others in the club will have to make decisions and give efforts in the process, but it’s not up to us. From the start, they (the club) informed me how the process will go. I focus on football, they are focusing on other parts – departments of the club and how to get everything financed.”
Source: express.co.uk
