The direction of the Manchester United takeover is pointing in the direction of Sheikh Jassim’s bid being successful.
Business outlet Reuters reported yesterday that Sheikh Jassim is the bidder the Glazers are leaning towards, with exclusivity being negotiated.
This has now been verified by French outlet RMC Sport, who claim Sheikh Jassim is ‘on the verge’ of taking the lead.
The report states: “As announced by Reuters, information confirmed by RMC Sport, Qatar – via a consortium led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani – is on the verge of entering into exclusive negotiations with the Glazer family, owners of Manchester United, for the acquisition of the English club.”
READ: Sheikh Jassim takeover bid: Everything on offer
Qatari bid leads
The momentum is now firmly with Sheikh Jassim’s bid for Manchester United leading the race.
BBC economics editor Faisal Islam has described the Qatari bid as being ‘3-2 up in the 89th minute’ and casts doubt on whether Sir Jim Ratcliffe will return with an improved offer.
Ratcliffe‘s Ineos had previously been reported to be in the lead, Sky News had claimed in late May.
An improved ‘final offer’ from Sheikh Jassim appears to have changed the situation, with The Express describing the latest bid as making a ‘breakthrough’ in negotiations.
A report from The Times has cast doubt on the speed of the upcoming process, suggesting a new owner might still not be fully in place by the start of the season.
Manchester United fans are desperate for the situation to be resolved, but the Glazers have shown absolutely no urgency through this entire process, so we don’t expect them to start now.
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