Qatari Billionaire and former 'Richest Man in the UK' officially bid to buy Manchester United
They both showed their expression of interest before the soft deadline closed yesterday
Last updated 18th Feb 2023
The race to buy Manchester United has truly begun as two contenders have thrown their hats in the ring to take over the club.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the chairman of one of Qatar's biggest banks, confirmed his intention for his foundation to bid for the club before the soft deadline at 10pm GMT on Friday.
But he is up against the former richest man in the UK, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has previously stated his intention to buy the Premier League side.
This comes after the Glazer family who have been at the helm for the past eight years after taking over in 2055, announced they were considering selling the club to "explore strategic alternatives."
INEOS, the company Ratcliffe is the CEO and Chairman of, released a statement on Saturday afternoon confirming the bid.
"We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community. We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again," the statement said.
"We recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads. We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.
"We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focussing on winning the Champions League."
If Ratcliffe was to be successful in acquiring the 19-time Premier League champions, they would add to his already long list of sports clubs he currently owns, including French Ligue 1 team Nice and high-profile sailing team Ineos Britannia.
Meanwhile Sheikh Jassim also plans to restore the history of the club, as his consortium said:
"The bid plans to return the club to its former glories.
"The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports.
"The vision of the bid is for Manchester United to be renowned for footballing excellence and regarded as the greatest football club in the world."
It's understood more investors might be tempted by the offer to own the historically highly successful club, including bidders from the United States and Saudi Arabia but this is yet to be confirmed.