Qatari Manchester United takeover ‘imminent’, claims Rio Ferdinand, saying ‘the Glazers go with the highest bidder’ and Sheikh Jassim’s bid ‘goes ahead’
Rio Ferdinand has claimed Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has won the race to buy Manchester United with his successful takeover bid to be announced ‘soon’.
Mail Sport reported this weekend that both bidders in the battle for United – Sheikh Jassim and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe – were finalizing their bids ahead of an expected exclusivity decision later this week.
At one point, Ratcliffe’s Ineos company appeared to be leading the way, but those acting on Sheikh Jassim’s behalf are more optimistic about their chances following the dramatic submission of an improved bid last week.
Mail Sport understands that a deal is not yet finalized despite the first reports.
However, United legend Ferdinand claims Qatar’s bid has been accepted by the Glazers and will be announced ‘in the next few hours’.
Rio Ferdinand (left) claims Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim (right) has won the race to buy Man United
‘The takeover of Man United is imminent’ said Ferdinand on his Five channel on YouTube. “We hear that the Qatari offer is the one that’s been accepted, the one that’s imminent and the one that’s going through. Hallelujah, dude. I can not wait. Please let this happen.
“Look how long this has been going on. The Glazers have dug in their heels. It goes to the highest bidder, which is normal in negotiations, but I want this resolved before the transfer window starts and now it opens up and starts moving.’
Ferdinand continued, “I wake up every day hoping that an offer will be accepted every day. We hear it’s close. It will happen in a few days.
‘If not a matter of hours. If not, we don’t know how much money we have to spend and United are catching up.
“So fingers crossed that this information is really true – I have a good source that it is true.”
A bogus report earlier this week – claiming a takeover agreement had been reached – sent Man United’s share price up 24 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe vied with Sheikh Jassim for the majority of the club at Old Trafford
United has been in the market since the Glazers (pictured) announced in November they were open to a possible takeover
United’s share price — which was around $12 in November when the Glazer family announced it would be put up for sale — is always closely watched, and a sudden spike to $25.01 caught the eye.
The spike occurred after a report of Qatari newspaper Al-Watan claimed Sheikh Jassim had the upper hand in his bidding war with Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
But the athletics claim sources close to the Qatari off were taken aback by the suggestion that stocks soared because a deal was close.
In fact, their report goes on to detail that the news of the Qatari bid sealing the deal appears to have come from a Twitter account, allegedly based in Wales, which primarily advertises illegal streaming of football matches.
2sporttv, an account with fewer than 300 followers, quickly saw the post, which proclaimed that the Qatari offer was a foregone conclusion, gain traction. It would later be promoted by Al-Watan and his editor.
Sheikh Jassim’s bid – believed to be worth around £5bn – is for total control of United, while Ratcliffe’s Ineos is around 60 per cent of the club.
United’s share price spiked on the New York Stock Exchange following a bogus report earlier this week
Ratcliffe’s bid comes with a proposal that would allow United’s current unpopular owners, the Glazers, to stay for a period of time ahead of a buyout.
However, if Ferdinand’s claim materializes, Ratcliffe will have fallen short in his bid to buy United, the club he has supported all his life.
United’s takeover saga is now coming to an end after seven months of speculation.
The Glazers first announced they were open to a sale in November, on the same night they confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo had left by mutual consent.