Manchester United, 6 billion dollars is the record amount offered by Qatar

A consortium led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bank (Qib), has announced that it has presented a bid to take full control of Manchester United, throwing down the gauntlet to Ineos who had previously expressed the own sake. The press release released by Al Thani does not mention the price proposed by the club, but the offer, according to what was reported by some British newspapers, could reach the record figure of 6 billion dollars.

The purchase proposal does not envisage further debts for the company and comes through the sheikh’s Nine Two Foundation, which, according to a note, “will seek to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and infrastructure in the sense broader, in the fan experience and in the communities that the club supports.

The Glazers, current owners of Manchester United, announced in November that they were open to a sale or investment in the club which has won the English title 20 times. British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s company Ineos is the only other bidder to have officially declared its interest. The deadline for submitting offers expired yesterday evening, but it is a “soft deadline” that could also be revised.

The Glazers said they are open to both minority investments and a full stake sale. But the latter now seems to be the only option left on the table. Deeply unpopular with fans since they saddled the club with huge debts due to the leverage used in their £790m ($961m) takeover in 2005, the Glazers have further angered fans by backing the failed club project. European Super League in 2021.