Reports suggest that Sheikh Jassim has been left shocked by the Glazers’ latest move in the takeover negotiations for Manchester United. According to Spanish outlet El Pais, the Glazers have changed their asking price mid-negotiation, causing Sheikh Jassim to cool his interest in the club. The Glazers, who own both Manchester United and the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are said to have upped their asking price to around £6 billion, up from their initial demand of £5.2 billion. Sheikh Jassim has already tabled four offers for the club, but no agreement has been reached yet.
Meanwhile, the Glazers are also negotiating with Jim Ratcliffe, the Manchester-born billionaire chief of chemical company INEOS. Ratcliffe’s proposed deal would reportedly see the Glazers remain part of Manchester United in minor roles. However, the fans are keen to have the current owners removed from the club entirely, with a long-standing animosity between the Americans and the fanbase.
On the pitch, Manchester United have all but secured Champions League football for next season, needing only one point from their remaining two fixtures. They will also face local rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final as they aim to pull off a domestic cup double following their Carabao Cup victory earlier in the season. The team will host Chelsea and Fulham at Old Trafford before their big day at Wembley on June 3rd.