Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim remains confident of purchase as bid deadline approaches
Sources close to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani are confident the Qatari billionaire's bid to buy Manchester United will be successful, 90min understands.
Lifelong United fan Sheikh Jassim, currently chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bank, is financing the offer through his Nine Two Foundation - which was named after United's famed class of '92.
Sources with knowledge of the situation have confirmed to 90min that Sheikh Jassim is committed to a 'full takeover' of the club. They want a clean break from the current Glazer regime and are 'as confident as they can be' that their bid will be successful.
Bids to buy and/or invest in United have entered a third and final round, and the deadline for offers is this Friday - a deadline set by American investment bank Raine Group, who are managing the process.
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The Glazers, who have owned United since 2005 after paying just shy of £800m for the club, are considering a full sale of the club and are understood to be asking £6bn part with the asset. However, as 90min reported earlier this month, there remains a growing feeling around Old Trafford that they are looking to secure a deal with investors rather than sell, and there has been no shortage of interest from bidders looking to take a minority stake of the club.
Along with Sheikh Jassim the other leading bid to emerge has been from British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe has met with Old Trafford officials in recent months and has firm plans in place should he take charge.
Ratcliffe's bid does differ from Sheikh Jassim's as, while he is looking to take control and ownership, he is willing to have other investors as part of the deal. It has emerged that he would even consider allowing current co-chairmen Avram Glazer and Joel Glazer to remain part of the club.
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