A group of Qatari investors are planning a takeover bid for Manchester United in the coming days.
The Glazer family, Man Utd's current owners, set a mid-February deadline for any potential buyers, and a Qatari group are "confident" of outbidding the competition, according to The Daily Mail. Should the deal go through, manager Erik ten Hag will have massive financial backing to help United push to the top of English football.
Man Utd are asking for more than £6 billion ($7.2b) for the club, and want any bid to include a plan to redevelop Old Trafford, a project that could cost a further £2bn ($2.4b).
The Qatari investors have no interest in a partial stake and are pushing for a total takeover. They will face competition from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain's richest man, who has already made it known that he would be interested in buying the club. Ratcliffe is a lifelong United fan.
Any takeover would need Premier League approval and would likely be met with significant opposition due to Qatar's human rights record.
A takeover of such magnitude would immediately make Man Utd one of the richest clubs in Europe, with unseemly transfer funds available. However, it could lead to some issues in European competition. PSG are already owned by Qatar Sports Investments, and although it has been reported that the United takeover would come from separate investors, UEFA rules prevent two clubs with overlapping membership from playing each other.
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