It’s seemingly been a never ending saga at Old Trafford, but the end could be in sight for Man United’s takeover.
Both Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim have submitted various offers to the Raine Group who are conducting business on behalf of the Glazer Family.
At this late stage, it still isn’t clear which party is closer to getting the keys to the lock, but it would appear that the Glazers are still very much intent on selling.
“My understanding remains that all six of them (Glazers), at the right price – and that’s the crucial thing – are determined sellers,” senior journalist, Ben Jacobs, was quoted as saying to Give Me Sport.
“If six are to leave, then the Nine Two Foundation still stand a very realistic chance of being Manchester United’s new owners.
“We’re in a stage, at the moment, of competitive tension whereby the aim has been to drive up the price. That tells you that the valuation that the Glazers are looking for has not been met by Sir Jim Ratcliffe as well.”
From a supporter perspective, it would appear that anyone but the Glazers are preferable, albeit the two main bidders have quite different bids apparently.
It’s believed that the Qatari delegation wish to bid for one hundred percent of the club, giving them total control, whereas Sir Jim’s bid is apparently for 59 percent, and may allow for the Glazer’s to stay at the club in some capacity.
However this eventually pans out, for the benefit of all concerned, the sooner this deal is concluded the better.
As soon as the ink is dry on the paper, Erik ten Hag will have a better idea of how much money he will have to spend in the transfer market and what transfer targets he can approach with a view to bringing them in for the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
Any more delays will significantly impact on transfers, and the knock-on effect could be problematic particularly if United manage to qualify for the Champions League and need to beef up the squad.