Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is confident his offer to takeover Manchester United will not create a conflict of interest with the Qatar state.
Two bidders have acquired PR firms to trigger a public battle in their quest to buy the club.
This resulted in the Premier League having to end their agreement with Hanover Communications.
The award-winning communications consultancy and public relations firm previously assisted with a public service brief for the Premier League, but they will now work on a takeover offer lodged by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani for Manchester United.
It remains to be seen how much work Hanover Communications will be doing on Sheikh Jassim’s behalf, but the latest briefing via the Telegraph would suggest the Qataris are in the process of fighting off claims about multi ownership, with Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) already owning Paris Saint-Germain.
The report states that Sheikh Jassim is confident his attempts to buy Manchester United would not fall foul of rules barring ownership or control over more than one club.
James Ducker writes: “But those close to Jassim’s bid have dismissed any notion it is effectively a state project ultimately funded by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the gulf nation’s sovereign wealth fund estimated to have more than £370bn of assets and which already helps to back Paris Saint-Germain through its subsidiary Qatar Sports Investment (QSI).”
Meanwhile, we can assume INEOS have a PR department with plenty of experience working on big takeovers.
While both bidders said they would value fans if they were successful in their attempts to buy United, they have yet to consult the fan groups.
That should be their next step rather than briefing to the media.
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