Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has placed a bid to buy Manchester United from the Glazer family.
It was announced that he had done so, heading up a Qatari consortium, in a statement released to the public.
“Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani today confirmed his submission of a bid for 100 per cent of Manchester United Football Club,” a statement read.
“The bid plans to return the Club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more.
“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, the fan experience and the communities the Club supports.
“The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world. More details of the bid will be released, when appropriate, if and when the bid process develops.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Man Utd’s potential next owner.
Al Thani, born in 1982, is a Qatari billionaire and the son of the nation’s former Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani.
He left his home country to be educated in the United Kingdom, attending the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst and graduating as an officer cadet.
After that, he pursued a career in business and has since worked with multiple companies and banks specifically as a board member and chairman.
He is said to be a lifelong football and Man Utd fan and wouldn’t be the first in his family to work in the sport too with his father involved in the running of PSG.
The main role of Al Thani’s career to date has been his position as chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, one of the biggest banks in the country.
He remains in that position today and has seen it grow to become the third most valuable company in Qatar, according to Forbes.
The Qatari has also previously been a board member at Credit Suisse, one of the biggest investment banks in the world.
Al Thani has never ventured into the world of sports professionally before, with his closest connection his father who is involved with PSG.
How much Al Thani himself is worth is somewhat unclear, but given his position as QIB chairman and the family that he’s a part of, it’s safe to assume that he’s a billionaire.
His family, Qatar’s royals, is worth around £275bn, and Forbes estimates he himself has a net worth of just over £1bn.
It was expected for a long time that Al Thani would bid for Man Utd.
He has confirmed that he, along with the rest of the Qatari consortium he’s heading up, intends to own 100% of the Premier League club and invest heavily in the training ground and stadium.
No details have been provided on how much money has been offered to the Glazers, but it has been stated that the bid is “completely debt free.”
It’s not the only that has been placed, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the British billionaire that owns INEOS, also submitting one.
Controversy has surrounded Al Thani’s bid for the club due to the fact that he’s a member of Qatar’s royal family.
The nation has a poor record on human rights with the treatment of migrant workers, women and LGBTQ+ people being particularly concerning.
This bid isn’t coming from state-owned Qatar Sports Investment, who own PSG, with UEFA laws prohibiting full ownership of multiple clubs by any group or individual.
However, given Al Thani’s identity, the country would still effectively own Man Utd too in the eyes of many.
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Credit: 90min.com
