Man Utd takeover latest: Jim Ratcliffe ‘still favourite’ despite Sheikh Jassim ‘exclusivity’ claims

Manchester United fans are still waiting for progress on the takeover front after months of waiting.

It feels like a lifetime since the Glazers announced they were seeking investment, but it seems the American ownership group still haven’t decided whether they want a full sale or not. In the meantime, two serious bidders are battling it out to take majority control of the club, and it seems the race is close to finishing, with the Glazers due to make a decision on who will get exclusive negotiation rights.

Here we have rounded up all the latest on a possible takeover at Old Trafford.

Jassim claim

Sheikh Jassim is reportedly the favoured bidder, with Reuters saying United are now working on granting exclusivity to the Qatari in the negotiations.

It’s claimed Jassim’s bid is being viewed as ‘more favourable’ than that of im Ratcliffe’s despite the fact INEOS are said to be willing to let the Glazers keep a significant piece of the club.

The Glazers will have to sell the whole club if they want to sell to Jassim, though, which they are reportedly hesitant to do.

No exclusivity yet

Contrary to the above report, BBC Sport are saying there has been no exclusivity granted just yet.

It’s claimed United are still discussing terms with more than one party, and they are not said to be attempting to narrow down the race to one just yet. Sheikh Jassim has been favoured in reports of late after his fifth and reportedly final bid to buy the club, but the Glazers still have their options open according to the BBC report.

It’s claimed Ratcliffe’s group are still willing to let the Glazers keep a significant stake in the club.

latest Ratcliffe claim

The Times, meanwhile, are saying Ratcliffe and INEOS remain favourites despite reports claiming Jassim is winning the race.

The report claims the process will take a lot longer than many realise, with no new owner likely to be in place for the start of the new season in August. But the report claims Ratcliffe is currently winning the race after submitting a bid worth around £6billion with the consideration that not all of the shares will be bought.

This report is one of the few that goes against the narrative of Jassim winning, but it’s certainly worth taking note of given some of the misinformation doing the rounds from Qatari reports.