Man Utd takeover: The reason for delays in club sale process
- Glazer family considering bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim
- Sale process is soon to enter its eighth month
- Split between six Glazer siblings on which bid to accept is holding up process
The Qatari bid to take ownership of Manchester United are growing in confidence that they will win the race to buy the club from the Glazer family, 90min understands.
Led by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the bid from Qatar has gained an advantage over a rival bid from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS over recent weeks. It is a proposal which would take 100% ownership of the 13-time Premier League champions, compared to Ratcliffe's latest offer of a partial buy out.
The family have been holding out for £6bn - though all offers to date have come in under that asking price. The valuation has been set by the Glazer family and Raine Group, who have negotiated the sale on their behalf.
United's valuation is set against valuations of other sports franchises, namely in the NFL, and it's understood the Glazers feel United are worth significantly more than the $6bn sale of the Washington Commanders in April.
Instead, they feel the value is closer to that of the Dallas Cowboys, the most valuable sports franchise on the planet last valued at $8bn - and that United even have the potential to surpass that.
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Neither buying party is prepared to increase their bid at this stage though, with the entire sale process dragging on over nearly eight months and counting. The process and ownership of the Glazers in general has been the source of massive frustration and protests over the course of 18 years from United's fans - with protests even more fervent in recent months and years.
The delay on the sale has impacted on United's planned transfer business so far, with players wanted by manager Erik ten Hag but nobody signed yet as we enter July. There is also uncertainty over goalkeeper David de Gea, who is out of contract on Friday.
Said delay has been caused by internal disagreements between the six siblings in the Glazer family, with Joel and Avram - the two more involved in the day to day running of the club - favouring Ratcliffe's latest bid. The other four siblings however prefer a full sale, payment and exit, which would be allowed through accepting Qatar's offer.
A resolution could be reached at any point between the siblings, with Qatar currently confident their bid will win out when a decision is made. But as it stands the "strategic alternatives" process set in November by the Glazers continues.
On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders and Rob Blanchette discuss Man Utd's decision to remove a contract offer for David de Gea and replace it with inferior terms. If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
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