Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has submitted a new bid to buy Manchester United which is believed to be worth around $6.12 billion, Sky Sports News reported on Saturday.
Sheikh Jassim, a son of Qatar’s former prime minister, launched the bid in February. A spokesperson representing Sheikh Jassim said at the time that the bid was completely debt free, via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation.
Manchester United did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Sheikh Jassim has submitted second round bid to buy Manchester United overnight #MUFC
Understand Qatari’s Sheikh Jassim group remain confident, they believe bid is the best one for the club, fans and local community.The ball is now in Glazers court. pic.twitter.com/z7FBwlZA0B
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 25, 2023
Sheikh Jassim sent improved bid, used extended deadline to fine tune and still feel confident to have chances to buy Man United #MUFC
Investments will be on stadium, facilities and first team — infrastructures and Academy, crucial.All groups now waiting for the Glazers. pic.twitter.com/CxNT91HzoV
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 25, 2023
Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus also placed a bid on Thursday and told Reuters that he was willing to pay a premium for the English soccer club.
British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, a life-long United fan and founder of chemicals producer INEOS, put in a bid for the club in February.
United's current owners, the Glazer family, began looking at options for the record 20-time English champions in November, including new investment or a potential sale, 17 years after they bought the Old Trafford club.
Any sale of the club would likely exceed the biggest sports deal so far, the $5.2 billion including debt and investments paid for Chelsea, sources told Reuters previously.
United's Premier League rivals Liverpool have also said they would explore the option of bringing in investors, while Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi was set to launch a $3.75 billion bid for Tottenham Hotspur, sources told Reuters in February.
United are the fourth richest soccer club in the world, according to analysis by Deloitte. They are widely seen as one of the most prized assets in all of sport.
(Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; editing by Jason Neely and Toby Davis)
