Sheikh Jassim is unlikely to join forces with Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the Glazers explore selling their stakes in Manchester United. The Qatari billionaire led a bid to buy the club in 2023, tabling numerous offers including around £4.5billion before pulling out.
More than two years after selling a minority stake to Ratcliffe, members of the Glazer family are reportedly weighing up whether to sell their own stakes. Bloomberg said initial talks centred on individual stakes, with some members lobbying their siblings to follow suit. In October last year, Mirror Football reported the Glazers would only consider offers exceeding £5billion.
If Sheikh Jassim's stance remains unchanged, buying a minority stake would not interest him, and a partnership with former takeover rival Ratcliffe appears unlikely. Ratcliffe previously questioned Jassim's existence, saying: "Nobody's ever seen him, actually. The Glazers never met him. I'm not sure he exists."
According to the Daily Mail, Jassim's plans included clearing the club's debt, building a new fully funded stadium, freezing ticket prices and increasing investment in the women's team. A source told the Mail that there was regret in the Qatari group, saying: "We felt like we were being used and the goalposts continually changed. We felt like we had already gone above and beyond."
The Glazers have been United's majority owners since 2005. Meanwhile, pressure on Ratcliffe has eased, with United finishing third and securing Champions League football after Michael Carrick replaced the sacked Ruben Amorim in January. Signings such as Senne Lammens, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have impressed, with Ederson set to join from Atalanta.
