The Manchester United sale saga isn’t over quite yet.
Despite reports last week that the Glazer family would sell the majority of the English Premier League club to British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS, the story has taken another turn.
The club’s stock is on the rise following a revamped bid from Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, which according to The Times still comes in at a lower valuation than Ratcliffe’s $6.3 billion.
Sheikh Jassim is offering to buy 100% of the team and has pledged $1 billion toward improving club infrastructure, while Ratcliffe’s bid was for 80% of the club. The former’s promise to dramatically upgrade Old Trafford could be particularly attractive to the many fans who regularly protest the current ownership group for its perceived negligence.
The drama is playing out as the Red Devils currently sit in fourth place in the EPL, one point above Liverpool and narrowly inside automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League. Manchester United could also qualify by beating rivals Manchester City in next month’s FA Cup final.
For now, disgruntled Manchester United fans will continue to cross their fingers that the Glazers move forward with a sale. No official timetable has been laid out for completion of a potential deal.
