The Glazers will allegedly sign a purchase agreement with Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani “within the next few hours,” according to a respected Qatari news source.
After submitting an offer to purchase Manchester United in its entirety for a price of more than £5 billion, the Qatari banker and chairman of the Nine-Two foundation was thought to be in the lead in the battle to acquire the club.
According to Raya.com, “The Qatari company stepped into a bid to buy the club despite the offer, and it is predicted that the Glazer family, the club’s owners, will sign the Manchester United purchase contract within the next few hours.
“Those in the circle close to the Qatari [bidder] have now started to express their confidence in the triumph, and they think the announcement will happen soon.
If the rumor is accurate, it will mark a pivotal point in the history of one of the biggest football teams in the world. Al Sharq and Al Watan, traditionally regarded as the two most dependable Qatari newspapers, have not yet confirmed it.
Even when the great Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the 18 years of Glazer ownership haven’t resulted in much in the way of success or investments off the field.
When the Glazers made their “seeking strategic alternatives” announcement in November, they meant that they were considering either a whole or partial sale as well as refinancing, loans, or investments for the club’s funding.
The Raine Group, who have been managing the process on the Glazers’ behalf, has turned it into a dog and pony show. Initially, it was anticipated that the process would be finished by the end of March.
There were three rounds of bidding organized, and then further delays kept piling on.
According to rumors, the Glazers had differing opinions on the matter; some, particularly Joel and Avram Glazer, wanted to keep a stake in the team, while others wanted to profit from what would be a record price for a sporting endeavor.
The millions of fans who have been opposing the Glazer ownership for many years since they put the club in debt by borrowing against it to buy it back in 2005 will be relieved if a decision has finally been reached.
It will also come as a relief to manager Erik ten Hag, whose summer transfer window has been hamstrung by the lack of clarity as to who will make the decisions and what the budget will be for acquisitions.