Major Premier League appointment could have significant impact on Man Utd takeover

The Premier League have begun the recruitment process for the new Independent Oversight Panel which will have a huge impact on clubs expected to complete a takeover.

Manchester United are, of course, in the midst of an ongoing battle between Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, both of whom are trying to buy the club from the Glazers. Should either be successful with their offer, they will have to go through an Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT).

It was announced in March that a new Independent Oversight Panel would be formed to review takeovers of Premier League clubs. The English top flight placed an advert for the new panel on Wednesday which is looking for ‘between eight and 15 suitable individuals’.

Applicants must either be a lawyer with 10 years’ experience, have held judicial office or ‘hold a nationally recognised qualification as an accountant or auditor’. The deadline for applicants is 30 June and interviews will take place in early July.

Human rights breaches are also expected to be a bigger issue going forward in relation to the OADT, especially given allegations made against Qatar, which are denied by the Gulf state.

When the Independent Oversight Panel was announced in March, it also highlighted new disqualifying events for owners and directors, which include ‘for human rights abuses, based on Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020’, although this does not bar Sheikh Jassim or the Qatari delegation from buying United.

Reports on Monday had suggested Sheikh Jassim had won the race to become the club’s new owner, although they were subsequently quashed on Tuesday, with those claims, remarkably, seeming to originate from a Twitter account in Cardiff.

It has also been widely reported that the takeover process is nearing a stage where either Sheikh Jassim or Ratcliffe will be selected as the preferred bidder.