Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim sends blunt message to Glazers while Jim Ratcliffe lands share of £75m boost

It is almost a full year since the Glazer family announced there would be a potential sale of Manchester United as they stated their intent to “commence a process to explore strategic alternatives” which included “new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company.”

There has been huge interest in the club since that announcement last November, but it appears a sale of the Premier League outfit is no closer as the two public bidders, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, continue to await the next step in the process after various rounds of bidding.

Sheikh Jassim is wanting to complete a full takeover while Ratcliffe is said to be open to a minority stake, which would allow the Glazers to maintain some control at Old Trafford. However, despite numerous protests against the ownership, the Glazers appear to be sticking around for the short term at least.

Sheikh Jassim sends blunt message

The Qatari bid for United reportedly comes in at a staggering £5bn as they seek a 100 per cent takeover of the club. Reports earlier this week revealed David Beckham was set to be offered an ambassadorial post at United if Sheikh Jassim completed a takeover.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed Sheikh Jassim’s camp have told the Glazers “you either give us everything, or we’re walking away” amid frustration around the length of the takeover saga.

Beckham himself appeared to back the bid from Qatar, as he told Sky Sports at the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix: “We all have our own favourites of who we feel needs to run the club and look after the club and take the club back to where it belongs but in our eyes, in the fans’ eyes, we’re number one and we want to be back at the top. I believe I know the right people to do that.”

Ratcliffe lands windfall from Formula 1 stake

Speaking of Formula 1, Ratcliffe has earned a share of a £75million dividend from his stake in the Mercedes team. The Brackley-based team’s accounts showed a sharp increase in revenues in 2022 as pre-tax profits rose from around £72m to £113m. This was driven by higher commercial revenues from F1 and sponsorship as the motorsport increased it’s popularity further.

The £75million dividend paid to shareholders was up by almost £20million on the previous year, after £55.2million was paid out following the 2021 accounts. Ratcliffe owns a third of the team through a subsidiary of Ineos, who are also one of the team’s main sponsors.