Takeover Of Manchester United: Conflicting Reports With No Clear Winner In Sight
Written By Onyeka Daniel
The issues surrounding English Premier League side, Manchester United and their supposed takeover by a new owner is taking a new turn with each passing day and this delay could have an effect on the team, especially in the transfer market.
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Leading the race for the new ownership, we’ve Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari businessman, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani with both parties believing that they stand a chance of winning the race. Since last year November when the Glazers Family announced that they’re open to selling the club.
The process, filled with twists and turns, may finally be reaching its climactic end. A sense of cautious optimism has emerged from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s camp, confident that his INEOS bid will secure the deal after three rounds of bids have been submitted and the most recent one was last month. The final decision, of course, rests in the hands of the Glazers.
Yet, another surprise lay in wait on Tuesday evening. Report emerged that Avram Glazer was seen at Claridges Hotel in London. The site is part of a property portfolio belonging to Maybourne Hotel Group, which is owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, father of potential United buyer, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
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Then few days later, representatives of Sheikh Jassim announced an improved offer for the club, even though the bidding process had closed. For the moment, neither Ratcliffe nor Sheikh Jassim, the two contenders vying for control of United haved received an official feedback on their third bids lodged on April 28, the sudden offer from Sheikh Jassim’s representatives raises eyebrows.
Raine, the merchant bank orchestrating the search for “strategic alternatives,” has expressed surprise at the lack of direct contact with Sheikh Jassim, even at this late stage in the proceedings. This silence, against the backdrop of a potential once-in-a-generation opportunity to own United, is raising questions amongst those involved.
Ratcliffe attended the tour of Old Trafford and Carrington in person, further solidifying his bid’s credibility. Sheikh Jassim, on the other hand, sent representatives, leading some to believe that the Premier League would take longer to ratify a Qatari takeover. This could make the deal less appealing to the Glazer siblings who wish to cash out immediately.
The Glazer family appears to be at odds over the sale. Avram and Joel Glazer, the club’s co-chairmen, seem reluctant to sell, hence are leaning towards a part ownership, which is what Sir Jim Ratcliffe is offering, while Bryan, Edward and Kevin Glazer, as well as their sister, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, are eager to bank their shares. This family rift could have significant implications for the final sale decision.
Accusations of inaccurate briefings have been flying between Raine and Sheikh Jassim’s camp. The size of Sheikh Jassim’s third bid, whether it was more or less than £5 billion, is also under dispute. Sheikh Jassim’s camp assert that all their bids, including the most recent one, entail wiping United’s debt, which stands at a minimum of £535.7 million.
Furthermore, they promise several hundred million pounds for investment in the stadium and local community and this seems to endear him to the fans of club who wants an owner that is ready to spend in order to improve the squad.
Meanwhile…
Manchester United winger, Alejandro Garnacho appeared to have clashed with some Barcelona players this year when the two clubs played against each other in the Europa League and during the tie, he put his hands to his eyes in the shape of binoculars.
Many took it as mockery of Pedri and Barcelona, which then went into to overdrive after Garnacho posted on Instagram after the game, a picture of him doing just that with the caption ‘The big team goes through’. However his agent Quique de Lucas claims he was misinterpreted.
Speaking to Relevo, Garnacho’s agent Quique de Lucas has explained that he was not trying to mock Pedri with his celebration. “We both laughed a lot about this because at that game there were about thirty of his friends from Madrid in the stands. We were all placed in one area. So all his friends were saying. ‘You’re watching us.’ And he pretended to see us. Which is the same gesture that Pedri made, I don’t know when, right?
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“It snowballed… He took in part as saying: ‘people want to make controversy where there is none at all.’ Now sometimes they send me photos laughing, in that sense, at him when Sevilla eliminated them and so on.”
“And he, is what I was telling you, is capable of abstracting himself and giving a funny angle to a situation that people wanted to interpret from a partisan point of view, because those of us who really know where we were and others laughed a little. And, apart from that, it was an important game because a big team that came from the Champions League was eliminated… It wasn’t an easy tie, therefore, the prize was there.”
On the Instagram post that followed, de Lucas said this time Garnacho was looking to make fun of the situation. “Remember that he puts it up after all of this [controversy] has been generated. Of course, he says: ‘Oh, yes? Well, we’re all going there, we’re all going to laugh there, and now if you want to mess with me, you’re going to mess with me for good reason.’
In other words, the entire post came from everything that was discussed, everything that was said, even a Barcelona player sent him a message saying: ‘What are you up to?’ “Also, the competition aspect is there, from the young guys who are in the moment, who are fighting to be the greatest every day, and that seems good to me. As long as he’s healthy, well, hey, let’s move forward.” He concluded.
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