Man Utd takeover news as Jim Ratcliffe’s bid confirmed and Sheikh Jassim makes offer

Manchester United remain up for sale, and the rubber is now meeting the road.

The Red Devils’ current owners, the Glazers, set Friday as the deadline day for takeover bids to be formalised, and bids have been made. The Glazers were not sure whether they wanted a full sale or partial investment, but the interested parties seem to want full control if they are going to invest such big sums in the club.

Here we round up all the latest on the situation on the day after United’s big deadline day.

Ratcliffe bid

Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has submitted a bit to purchase United, along with his company INEOS.

A statement on behalf of both parties read: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have submitted a bid for majority ownership of Manchester United Football Club. We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community.

"We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again. We also recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads. We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.

"We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League."

Qatari interest

Sheikh Jassim is said to be leading a Qatari bid for United, and he would be part of a consortium.

According to The Athletic, Jassim was inspired by the ‘success’ of the World Cup in Qatar this winter, and that has caused him to want to get involved in owning a club. It’s claimed Jassim wants to diversify Qatar’s economy away from gas, believing United may be a vehicle to do that.

The bid was reportedly made on Friday, with a statement on behalf of Jassim reading: “The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure.”

Asking price

There have been a number of reports concerning the asking price for United.

According to the Daily Mail, if the Glazers are to sanction a full sale, it will not come below £6billion. That would be a world-record fee for the sale of a football club, and a drop in asking price is not expected given there are bids from two clubs.

Though, it’s not yet clear what the two bids are actually worth, meaning we don’t know what the Glazers are being asked to settle for, or whether their asking price has been met.