Sources close to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani have raised concerns over being “left in the dark” following the latest bid but remain hopeful that it will be accepted.
According to iNews, the Qataris are feeling optimistic over Sheikh Jassim’s final proposal, which was submitted last week.
This is due to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s offer being deemed complicated; the fact that he has offered the Glazer siblings the chance to retain their minority shares for a while means that the deal may be more difficult to complete.
iNews’ article reads: “Ratcliffe’s offer would use loans and bonds drawn from some of the biggest banks in the world to fund it and with the debt market “a nightmare” in the words of one source, it is far from a straightforward process.
“It also emerged that Ratcliffe was keen on a so-called “put and call” arrangement with the Glazers which could compel them to sell their stake by 2026. But a source close to the process pointed out to i there would have to be an agreement on how the club’s valuation would be calculated in that scenario.
“Who decides that? It is far from straightforward and all of this stuff perhaps explains the delay in making a decision,” the source said.”
Glazers will be money hungry until the end
The sources believe that the Americans have dragged their heels for so long in an attempt to get the interested parties to significantly increase their bids, with the initial announcement of a sale coming all the way back in November 2022.
At first, it was expected that a sale would be completed in the first three months of 2023, but here we are in June and no better off regarding clarity on Manchester United’s ownership.
