Man Utd takeover latest: Sheikh Jassim ‘aware’ of £6bn claim amid warning of Glazers’ stance

There’s uncertainty surrounding the latest in the Manchester United takeover, following suggestions on Tuesday night that Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani is close to completing his purchase of the club.

The Sun claimed that a £6bn takeover could be concluded by mid-October, with Sheikh Jassim set to buy all of the Glazers’ shares and pay off the club's £725m debt.

Yet other outlets appear to be disputing that claim. The Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan claims there has been no movement in the sale since Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratlicffe submitted their final bids earlier this year.

“As of this morning I am told that there has been no real movement since our last story which said that negotiations were ongoing with a number of interested parties and that we still, I'm sad to report, have no winner,” Keegan wrote in the Mail’s Q&A.

He also said that there is no certainty that the process will be concluded by the end of 2023, and added that no party is seen as a front runner at this stage. “My read on it is that Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have lodged their bids, they are not at a level the Glazers are prepared to accept,” Keegan explained.

“Raine are currently trying to bridge that gap. Things can change quickly but my latest info is that there has been little to indicate a sale is imminent. It's worth noting that even if we get to a stage where a bid is accepted, which is not a given, the due process - Premier League owners and directors' tests etc - have to follow, which will add a couple of months”

Meanwhile, Sky Sports claim the Qatar delegation believe the process has ‘stalled’ and there are concerns the Glazers no longer plan to sell the club. “Sheikh Jassim's bid team are aware of reports he is close to buying Manchester United, but as far as he is concerned the situation has not changed,” Sky add.

READ MORE: Man Utd takeover: Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim to ‘complete’ £6bn buyout

The Athletic’s David Ornstein is also uncertain whether there has been any movement in the takeover process, and warned there have been ‘a number of false dawns’ in this long-running saga.

"There was a consensus that this would get some sort of resolution after the transfer window, because it's affected them in the transfer market. It's affected so much discourse around the club,” he told Sky Sports.

“The big unanswered question amongst all of it is whether the Glazers really will sell when push comes to shove. So far, we haven't had an answer on that. But perhaps we are getting towards it now.”