Qatari investors set to bid for Manchester United

To give Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag the financial support he needs to take the team back to the top, Qatari investors are preparing an astonishing mega-money swoop for the club.

Sportsmail reports that insiders have revealed a group of high-net-worth individuals located in the oil-rich state have their sights set on a team they consider to be "football's crown jewels" as a result of Qatar hosting the World Cup.

Prior to the deadline set by the Glazers in mid-February, they will make a bid for United. They are confident that their offer will outperform the opposition.

The club's owners are requesting more than £6 billion for it, and redeveloping Old Trafford might cost another sizable sum, or it could be demolished and replaced with a brand-new cutting-edge stadium. The Qatari group would not have any issues with the project's potential cost of more than £2 billion, according to the Daily Mail.

Their bid places a strong emphasis on fan interaction, and they may ask fans what they think should happen to the stadium in the future.

The ownership of Paris Saint-Germain by Qatar Sports Investments is one potential obstacle. United and PSG might clash in Europe since one organization is not allowed to own two teams in the same league.

United would be the target of a separate, one-off bid from Qatari investors. There is no desire to acquire a small stake; only a full takeover is being contemplated. According to insiders, the company is looking for a new project to harness the experience they garnered from hosting the World Cup.

That would include giving Ten Hag a transfer war chest so he could compete for signings with the richest clubs in the globe.

‘There are significant funds available,’ they said. ‘These people are serious. They want to make sure that United are where they should be and they are confident theirs will be the strongest bid.

They want to strengthen the squad to put them back at the top but they also want this to be for the good of the community.

‘They also want to build on the success of the World Cup. They recognise that Manchester United is the biggest football club in the world, the crown jewels, and there is a steely-minded determination to buy it and get it to where it should be.’

If the bid is accepted, the two Manchester clubs would be on opposing sides of the Qatar-Abu Dhabi rivalry. Newcastle owned by Saudi Arabia would play versus United owned by Qatar. The neighbors in the Gulf are bitter enemies.

Due to worries over the nation's human rights record, the takeover would require Premier League permission and would encounter opposition in some circles.

Source