Manchester United fans have been eagerly anticipating a change in ownership for years, and it seems that their prayers may finally be answered. According to club legend Rio Ferdinand, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani is set to take over the club, with a deal reportedly close to being finalized.
Sheikh Jassim’s bid for the Red Devils is said to be in competition with a bid from INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe. However, Ferdinand believes that the Qatari bid is the one that will ultimately be accepted.
The rumours of a successful takeover by Sheikh Jassim caused the club’s share price to soar last week, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. Ferdinand, however, is convinced that the deal is imminent and is desperate to see it come to fruition.
In a recent episode of his FIVE YouTube channel, Ferdinand said, “Man United takeover is imminent. We’re hearing the Qatari bid is the one that’s taking over, it’s the one that is going to be accepted and it’s the one that is going to go through. Hallelujah, man! We can’t wait, please let this happen, please let it be true man.”
He went on to say, “Look how long it’s gone on for, the Glazers have dug their heels in and they’re going obviously it seems like the biggest bidder. The person that bids the most money is going to get the club.”
Ferdinand also revealed that he has heard that the takeover is close to being finalized, stating, “We’re hearing that it’s close, we’re hearing it’s within a matter of days that it’s going to happen, it’s not hours.”
Sheikh Jassim has already set up a UK Holding company, Nine Two UK Holdings Limited, which is now registered at Companies House. He and Abdulrahman Abdulla Al-Ansari have been named as directors of the company.
After months of interest from Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the former submitted a fifth and final bid last week. His offer is for 100 per cent control of the club, which has been under Glazer control since 2005. However, the bid is said to still fall short of the Glazers’ initial £6 billion valuation of the Premier League giants.
Fans will be hoping that a takeover is completed soon, especially with the opening of the transfer window on Wednesday. New ownership would bring fresh investment in the squad ahead of next season, which could help United to build on their third-place finish in the Premier League and Carabao Cup win under Erik ten Hag’s management.
In conclusion, it seems that Manchester United fans may finally get their wish for a change in ownership. While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, Rio Ferdinand’s comments suggest that a deal with Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani is close to being finalized. This would bring an end to the Glazers’ near two-decade reign at Old Trafford and could spell a new era of success for the club.