Man Utd sale: who could be the next owner of Manchester United - from Sheikh Jassim to Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and a Qatari bid are aiming to takeover Manchester United
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Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has reportedly been joined by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in launching an official takeover bid for Manchester United.

According to multiple reports, Ratcliffe’s Ineos company will compete with Al Thani, chairman of Qatari bank QIB, to acquire the Old Trafford club from the Glazer family. Ratcliffe is one of the UK’s wealthiest people with an estimated net worth a £12.5billion following the success of global chemical company Ineos.

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He had already expressed his desire to buy United – the club he has supported since childhood – although Friday’s soft 10pm deadline passed by without formal comment from the 70-year-old’s camp. The PA news agency has contacted both Ratcliffe – who also owns cycling team Ineos Grenadiers, Ligue 1 side Nice, Swiss club Lausanne-Sport and is a one-third shareholder of the Mercedes Formula One team – and Ineos for comment.

Like Ratcliffe, Al Thani claims to be a boyhood United fan, and has indicated his offer would leave the Old Trafford club debt-free, in contrast to the Glazer family’s controversial leveraged buy-out in 2003. The PA news agency understands the Raine Group – brought in to assist United in assessing offers – wants the buyout process to move at speed, with the first quarter of the year recognised as a key time.

United could even be under new ownership by the end of the current season. Here is all you need to know:

Qatar bidder releases statement

A statement released on Friday night read: “Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani today confirmed his submission of a bid for 100 per cent of Manchester United Football Club.

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“The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more.

“The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports.

“The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.”

How do the wealth of potential owners compare?

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: A general view of Old Trafford Stadium, the home of Manchester United Football Club on November 23, 2022 in Manchester, England. Yesterday, the club released a statement indicating that the Glazer family who are majority owners of the club said they will "consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company". The announcement came on the same day the club announced its star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, was leaving with immediate effect. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: A general view of Old Trafford Stadium, the home of Manchester United Football Club on November 23, 2022 in Manchester, England. Yesterday, the club released a statement indicating that the Glazer family who are majority owners of the club said they will "consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company". The announcement came on the same day the club announced its star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, was leaving with immediate effect. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: A general view of Old Trafford Stadium, the home of Manchester United Football Club on November 23, 2022 in Manchester, England. Yesterday, the club released a statement indicating that the Glazer family who are majority owners of the club said they will "consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company". The announcement came on the same day the club announced its star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, was leaving with immediate effect. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Potential buyers of Manchester United by net worth. Picture: NationalWorld graphics teamPotential buyers of Manchester United by net worth. Picture: NationalWorld graphics team
Potential buyers of Manchester United by net worth. Picture: NationalWorld graphics team

Sir Jim Ratcliffe - net worth $13bn

The chairman of INEOS is considered the richest person in the United Kingdom. During the summer he had openly talked about attempting to purchase Manchester United, after making a bid for Chelsea earlier in 2022.

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He has reconfirmed his interest in buying the Red Devils. He is already the owner of Swiss Super League FC Lausanne-Sport as well as being the owner of cycling franchise Team INEOS (formerly Team Sky).

INEOS become a became principal partners of Mercedes AMG F1 in 2020 and is also a sponsor of the New Zealand national rugby side. He was linked with a takeover of West Ham United in October.

Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani

He is the son of a former Prime Minister of Qatar and is a banker, his father is worth an estimated $1.3bn according to forbes. He is part of the Qatar royal family which has an estimated net worth of $335bn.

Fans raise concerns about Qatar bid

But prior to the Qatari announcement – and the possibility of a potential rival bid from Saudi Arabia – Manchester United’s LGBTQ+ supporters’ group the Rainbow Devils raised “deep concern” regarding interest from nations where same-sex relationships are criminalised. “Rainbow Devils believe any bidder seeking to buy Manchester United must commit to making football a sport for everyone, including LGBTQ+ supporters, players and staff,” said the group on Twitter.

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“We therefore have deep concern over some of the bids that are being made. We are watching the current process closely with this in mind.”

The Glazer family effectively made United open for offers in November, raising hopes among supporters that their controversial reign was coming to a close.

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