Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe wouldn’t be turned off by the prospect of Manchester United failing to qualify for the Champions League.
According to BBC Sport reporter Simon Stone, the prospects of Manchester United potentially failing to qualify for next year’s Champions League will not scare off potential owners.
The report stresses that both public bidders — Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe through INEOS — see the purchase as a “long-term venture” and would not be put off by a “short-term dip”.
It is worth noting that Manchester Unites sit fourth in the Premier League after a listless performance in the loss against Newcastle.
Moreover, they are prime contenders for the Europa League title and face Sevilla in the quarterfinals, another potential path into the Champions League.
Potential owners committed to @ManUtd no matter what the outcome of this season. All quiet at the moment. pic.twitter.com/KJA8QP0q5j
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) April 3, 2023
United’s away form does not inspire the same level of confidence as they did in the middle part of the season.
Manchester United’s worrying dip at the worst time
The 0-2 loss against Newcastle, where the Magpies could have scored more marked the third consecutive game in the Premier League that United have failed to score. The 7-0 mauling by Liverpool was followed by a dull goalless draw against relegation favourites Southampton. The hope was that United would come back refreshed after the international break, but they look to have regressed instead. The team has failed to win any of their away games against the current top nine this season.
Man Utd have played six Premier League away games against the current top nine this season…
They've lost every single one: 25-6 on aggregate. 😵 pic.twitter.com/ibtqfbnPrF
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 2, 2023
Still, the news of United’s potential buyers reaffirming their commitment to the purchase of the club will soothe the worry of United fans who started fearing the worst due to this bad run. Ultimately, any investor would like a positive return on their investment. Failure to qualify for the lucrative Champions League for the second year in a row would trigger a 30% deduction from some of their significant sponsorship agreements, as per BBC Sport.
Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have already made it past two rounds of bidding and third might follow soon. In such circumstances, some clarity on United’s fortunes for the next season would have helped speed along the process. That doesn’t look to be the case anymore after this rut.
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