Qatari Royal, Jassim, Submits Improved Final Bid For Manchester United

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has submitted an increased fourth bid to buy English Premier League club, Manchester United.

Sheikh Jassim’s renewed offer, believed to be close to £5bn but shy of the Glazer family’s £6bn valuation, was submitted to the Raine Group, the New York-based investment bank overseeing the sale of the club, on Wednesday.

The third and final round of bidding concluded on April 28 but, with reports last week claiming a revised offer from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS had put them in pole position to acquire United, Sheikh Jassim has moved again.

Sheikh Jassim believes his bid is a very competitive one which brings huge benefits to Manchester United, including clearing nearly £1bn worth of club debt and a separate fund to redevelop Old Trafford, the surrounding area and the club’s Carrington training ground.

INEOS values United at a higher price than Sheik Jassim’s bid but it is not for the whole club and would give the Glazers the opportunity to keep a 20 per cent stake. United’s share price closed down to $18.80 on the NYSE on Tuesday, giving the club a market cap of $3.09 billion (£2.47 billion).