English football legend, Rio Ferdinand has confirmed the imminent takeover of Premier League giants, Manchester United, after months of uncertainty over the sale of the prestigious football club.
Ferdinand in a video circulating online, the former Man United captain revealed that the Qataris, led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamas Al Thani, one of the directors of Nine Two UK Holdings Ltd., appeared to have won the tug-of-war for the club ahead of English-born billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
WuzupNigeria reports that Sheikh Jassim launched a world-record bid for the EPL side which is worth more than the biggest first-round offers which valued the club at about £4.5 billion, a figure far less than the Glazer family’s £6 billion asking price since placing the club for sale in November 2022.
A total of five bids were lodged by Sheikh Jassim and reports from Qatar on Monday suggested that his final offer was enough to convince the Glazers.
Of the about five preferred bidders, Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the front-runners, but according to Ferdinand, the Qatari billionaire appears to have won the race to own the club.
Ferdinand said, “Man United takeover is imminent. We’re hearing the Qatari bid is the one that’s taken over, we’re hearing it’s the one that’s gonna be accepted and it’s the one that’s gonna go through, hallelujah man, we can’t wait.
“Please let this happen, please let it be true man. Look how long it’s gone on. The Glazers have dug their heels in. And they obviously see the biggest bidder. The person who bids the most money is gonna get the club which is normal in negotiations but they’ve certainly dragged their heels.
“I just wanted this to be sorted out and resolved before the transfer window really kicks in. We’re getting to that point where the transfer window starts opening and moves start to happen.”
Hours after Ferdinand’s video circulated online, Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two UK Holdings Ltd. officially became a company in the UK after receiving a certificate of incorporation of a private limited company in the United Kingdom.
Although this is not an indicator of a decision on ownership, reports reveal that this document is a must-have for each bidder to have everything in place should they be chosen, Mike Keegan, a UK sports correspondent said.
🚨 BREAKING: Nine Two UK Holdings Ltd., with Sheikh Jassim as one of the directors, is officially a company in the UK, starting today. #mufc pic.twitter.com/ZyTncmMeTg
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) June 15, 2023
Meanwhile, Reuters quoting anonymous sources familiar with the matter reported Thursday evening that the Premier League club is negotiating to grant exclusivity to the Sheikh Jassim-led consortium.
Members of the Glazer family, which own minority stakes in Manchester United and control it thanks to a dual-class share structure, would be cashing out as part of the proposed deal, one of the sources said.
If granted, Manchester United would not be allowed to negotiate with any bidder other than Sheikh Jassim for the exclusivity period. The sources cautioned that the situation remained fluid and a new bid from Ratcliffe could prevent Sheikh Jassim from securing exclusivity.
