Man Utd 'In Talks' With Qatari Investors Over Sale Amidst a vortex of conjecture and surmise, Manchester United has reportedly comme...

Man Utd 'In Talks' With Qatari Investors Over Sale

Amidst a vortex of conjecture and surmise, Manchester United has reportedly commenced negotiations with a group of investors hailing from the Middle Eastern state of Qatar. The club, currently under the ownership of the American Glazer family who acquired it in 2005, announced their openness to either a sale or investment in November of the previous year. The only bid that has publicly declared its interest so far is that of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos company.

Sources understand that prospective buyers have until the 17th of February to put forth their offers. According to the Daily Mail, a group of private investors from Qatar seeks to acquire the club and discussions with its higher-ups have already taken place, with the investors expressing confidence in their ability to submit the strongest bid. The Guardian has reported that Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, has evinced an interest in acquiring Manchester United, mere weeks after Qatar hosted the World Cup.

However, the Emir had already purchased Paris Saint-Germain through Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011, meaning that a full buyout of United would not be in compliance with UEFA regulations. The Press Association has stated that QSI is weighing the option of acquiring a minority stake in either United or another Premier League club. QSI is a subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund boasting assets worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The CEO of QIA, Mansoor Al-Mahmoud, conveyed to Bloomberg last month that "sovereign wealth funds are becoming investors in some of the clubs and you will not be surprised if we invest in this (area) but again we go into a very fundamental process and making sure if we invest this is very commercially driven for our future generations."

Amnesty International has voiced its concern over the potential Qatari interest in United and stated that it should act as a "wake-up call" to the Premier League with regards to its ownership rules. Peter Frankental, Amnesty UK's Economic Affairs Director, commented that "coming in the wake of the World Cup and strenuous efforts from the Qatari government to fashion a glitzy new image for the country, it seems highly likely that any Qatari bid for Manchester United would be a continuation of this state-backed sportswashing project." He added that "we're not necessarily opposed to the involvement of state-linked overseas financial consortia in English football, but the Premier League must urgently strengthen ownership rules to ensure they're human rights-compliant and not an opportunity for more sportswashing."

The Glazers, who have not been held in high esteem by the fans, have been criticized for burdening the club with substantial debts and for their support of the failed European Super League project in 2021. The club has not won the Premier League since 2013 and has failed to win any silverware since 2017. However, United has been performing well this season, currently occupying third place in the Premier League, with its improved form being attributed to the management of Erik ten Hag, who took over prior to the start of the current campaign.