Tottenham, Liverpool learn chances of explosive Sheikh Jassim buy-out as source reveals all on Man Utd takeover failure

The chances of Sheikh Jassim turning his focus towards buying Liverpool, Tottenham or Inter Milan, after the collapse of his efforts to complete a Manchester United takeover, have had some light shed on them by in-the-know journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Qatari-backed consortium, fronted by Sheikh Jassim, on Saturday evening went public with their withdrawal from the process of buying Manchester United. And just a matter of hours later, it was announced that his main rival for buying the Red Devils, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, had agreed a reduced 25% purchase of the Glazers’ stake of the club, worth £1.4bn.

For United supporters, news that a full-blown takeover will not be happening will surely come as a major blow. The unpopular Glazers family have controlled the Premier League giants since Malcolm Glazer’s £790m buy-out of the club in 2005.

Upon his passing, control of the club was passed on to his sons, Joel and Avram Glazer, and it seemed like their 18-year reign would come to an end when they put the club up for sale last November.

However, after a long drawn out process, and despite Sheikh Jassim upping his bid several times over, he ultimately withdrew from the race once it became clear the Glazers were not willing to accept.

His final offer was reportedly worth £5bn, with an additional pledge to wipe out the club’s estimated £500m debts, together with a vast warchest at both strengthening the squad and helping give Old Trafford a much-needed renovation.

Ultimately, though, and with the Glazers reportedly valuing United at up to £8bn, the Sheikh and his wealthy consortium were forced to withdraw their interest.

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Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim failure explained

Since the news filtered through that the Qataris would not be buying United, let alone taking a reduced percentage – they only wanted 100% of the club or nothing – reports have suggested Sheikh Jassim could turn their attention towards other Premier League clubs, with both Tottenham and Liverpool mentioned as possible options.

Italian side Inter Milan have also been touted as another possible target.

However, football business expert Ben Jacobs, writing for Caught Offside, insists Sheikh Jassim has no interest in buying any other club following the failure of his move for the Red Devils.

Revealing what he has heard, together with the breakdown of his bid to buy Manchester United, Jacobs explained: “A lot of people have also asked me why Sheikh Jassim withdrew from the process and whether he could return.

“The withdrawal came in part because Nine Two Foundation held final talks last week and couldn’t reach a breakthrough. They also grew fatigued by the process. The timing of their withdrawal would also suggest they knew Ratcliffe had made significant progress. I was always told the group would walk before they were formally rejected if they felt they couldn’t win.

“Sheikh Jassim’s bid obviously looks very appealing on paper. He offered over £5bn, he would have wiped Manchester United’s £1bn debt and there was £1.4bn allocated for pledged investment. This figure was raised from £0.8bn after April to essentially match what Ratcliffe will pay for a 25% stake. This may not have been intentional but it certainly presents a clear contrast. Sheikh Jassim specified his pledged investment whereas it’s unclear how money from a Ratcliffe sale (for around the same amount) will be used within the club, and how much of it.”

Sheikh Jassim links to Liverpool, Tottenham dismissed

Looking into the reasons around the failure, Jacobs has suggested it may have been deemed that the Sheikh was unable to prove his worth, despite talking a good game.

“Those close to the sellers have consistently argued the reality of Jassim’s bid did not match the PR and that the Qatari banker was not often directly engaged in the process, instead using several intermediaries including an ex-US government official.”

With the Raine Group, who were appointed by the Glazers to advise with the takeover/ investment process, ultimately advising on Ratcliffe’s offer to buy a 25% stake, the deal can be expected to go through in the next 28 days.

That should hopefully give United a much-needed financial boost heading into the next transfer window, although not to the levels that the Sheikh seemingly suggested. However, FFP remains a tightrope that United must continue to tread and it’s thought that Ratcliffe’s investment may well help first and foremost with the infracture of, and renovation of, Old Trafford and the surrounding area.

As for Sheikh Jassim, Jacobs has played down claims he could move for Tottenham or Inter Milan, and while he did not mention Liverpool by name, they are also believed to have been ruled out of the equation.

He also insists there is no chance of his offer to buy Man Utd being rekindled in any capacity.

He added: “Sheikh Jassim’s withdrawal is understood to be total. The offer has not been left on the table in any capacity. And despite links with Spurs and Inter, I am also told as it stands he is not considering buying another football club.”

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