Qatari banker Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has put forward to take over Manchester United from the Glazers. The Sheikh has officially announced his intent to inherit the club from their current American owners, who expect the process to be complete by the end of April.
He will be going up against Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, to claim ownership of the club. Ratcliffe is a boyhood Manchester United fan, and was also in the running to take over Chelsea from Roman Abramovich last summer.
Manchester United Qatari bid – All you need to know
Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the son of former Qatar president Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. He served between 2007 and 2013, when the country won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is known as the chairman of one of Qatar’s largest banks – the Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB).
He is a member of the Qatari Royal family, which is estimated to be worth £275 billion. The bid from their side to purchase Manchester United is worth €4.5 billion. There were concerns about their human rights record and whether the bid would be accepted by the Premier League.
However, the Qatari entourage is confident that their attempt will be considered. The QIB chairman is a Manchester United fan himself, and intends to put all the profits back into the development of the club. His is a separate entity from QSI, who own PSG, and will allow the two clubs to face each other in Europe.
