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Manchester United News: Sheikh Jassim withdraws from takeover race

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim has decided to pull out of the race to takeover Man Utd from the Glazer family, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 25% offer is set to be completed in a dramatic twist of takeover saga.

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Suvam Roy Chowdhury
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Manchester United News: Sheikh Jassim withdraws from takeover race

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir David Brailsford (second right) at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United. Manchester United owners, the Glazer family, announced last November they were conducting a strategic review, with the sale of United one option being considered. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe have bid to buy United, with both parties visiting the club this week. Picture date: Friday March 17, 2023. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

Sheikh Jassim has decided to withdraw from the Manchester United takeover race. He had been racing INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe for a buy-out but has decided not pull out of the race.

The Qatari had bid 5bn for the club but due to lack of response from the Glazers, he has decided to break down further talks. The Glazer family bought United for 790m in 2005 and in November 2022 they considered selling the club.

British Businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe was the other bidder who was rivalling Sheikh Jassim for the takeover, he's of the INEOS group. Ratcliffe is now hoping to conclude a deal of 25% of the club for a minority stake.

Earlier this month Ratcliffe was reported to have considered buying a minority stake in the club, in order to break the impasse over the ownership situation. When the Glazers announced last year that they were willing to sell, bids of 5bn arrived from INEOS and Sheikh Jassim.

DOHA, QATAR - FEBRUARY 22: A Manchester United bag on sale in the Souq Waqif in the capital of Doha in Qatar after the announcement that Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani confirmed his submission of a bid to buy Manchester United Football Club from the Glazer Family from the USA on February 18, 2023 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
DOHA, QATAR - FEBRUARY 22: A Manchester United bag on sale in the Souq Waqif in the capital of Doha in Qatar after the announcement that Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani confirmed his submission of a bid to buy Manchester United Football Club from the Glazer Family from the USA on February 18, 2023 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)

The United supporters wants the Glazers to sell and there were literal protest about it, after Manchester United's home matches At Old Trafford.

Manchester United's bad start to the season didn't help the Glazers at all. The club is 10th in the Premier League having lost four of their opening eight matches, and were beaten in their first two Champions League games against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.

Numerous conflicting rumours have emerged over the past couple of months which stated that the whole process had been broken down, but that was definitely not the case.

But for now, the Glazers remain and that is something which can be expected to be greeted with anger by the majority of the United fanbase which include former Manchester United player Gary Neville who thinks that if United don't solve the problem at the very top, they would suffer even more on the football field, just like they're doing now.

Earlier this week, when asked if the Glazer family were aware of the majority view of them within the United fanbase, chief executive Richard Arnold told their Fans Forum the club was "transparent in its feedback to the owners".

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