Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and Ineos make bids for Man United

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has confirmed his foundation will bid to buy the English Premier League club Manchester United.

The chemical company Ineos, owned by 70-year-old British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, also officially made a bid before Friday’s 22:00 GMT ‘soft deadline’ for proposals.

🚨🇶🇦 Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani pictured wearing the Manchester United home jersey last year in August. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/6bmHZWhdJd

— United Update (@UnitedsUpdate) February 18, 2023

The Qatari consortium, led by Sheikh Jassim, who is the chairman of one of Qatar’s biggest banks, said:

“The bid plans to return the club to its former glories.

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“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 to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.”

The Glazer family, who bought United in 2005, are considering selling as they “explore strategic alternatives”.

Ineos has yet to release a statement, but it is understood the proposal will emphasise that Manchester-born Ratcliffe would be “a British custodian for the club” and would aim to “put the Manchester back into Manchester United”.

The Ineos group has a history of investment in sport and owns French Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss club Lausanne. Its sporting portfolio also includes high-profile sailing team Ineos Britannia – led by Sir Ben Ainslie – which is aiming to win the 2024 America’s Cup for Great Britain.

Ineos also has a five-year partnership with Formula 1 team Mercedes and took over the British-based Team Sky in cycling in 2019.