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The Glazer family's plan to sell Manchester United has attracted wide attention from interesting parties.
Foreign media reported that the final round of bids for the acquisition of Manchester United has been revealed, and the Qatar consortium led by Sheikh Jassim has increased its bid again. As of the market close of the US stock market on May 19th, Manchester United's stocks were down 0.64% to US$18.72.
It is reported that Sheikh Jassim wants to have 100% control of Manchester United Football Club. On the basis of the previous round of bids of , Sheikh Jasim offered nearly 5.5 billion pounds this time, representing an increase of 500 million pounds compared with the previous price of 5 billion pounds. What he submitted is a final offer, an "accept or leave" offer, trying to prevent competition from Jim Ratcliffe, the boss of Ineos chemicals group.
In February of this year, Sheikh Jassim issued a statement to participate in the bidding for Manchester United, stating that he has always been a die-hard fan of Manchester United and promised to restore the club to its former glory.
As of Beijing time on May 19th, a "Who do you want to own Manchester United" online poll initiated by British media Mirror showed that the Qatar consortium ranked first with a 50% vote rate, and Ratcliffe ranked second with 33% of votes.
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Who is Sheikh Jassim? Why is he obsessed with Manchester United?
Sheikh Jassim was born in 1982, The specific amount of this mysterious rich man's personal assets has never been disclosed, but his family belongs to the Qatari royal family with assets of around 275 billion pounds. Forbes estimates that his personal assets are at least over 1 billion pounds.
It is noteworthy that his father once served as the Prime Minister of Qatar from 2007 to 2013. He has assets across many countries. His personal wealth is estimated at US$12 billion. In the UK, he has well-known assets such as Harrods department store and the Shard building. He was called by British media as “”the man who bought London", and he also participated in the operation of Paris Saint-Germain soccer club, and maybe that’s when Sheikh Jasim built his ties with football.
National Business Daily noticed that based on Manchester United's market value at the close on May 19th, Sheikh Jasim's nearly 5.5-billion-pound offer for Manchester United fully depicts his self-proclaimed title as a "die-hard fan". However, whether this billionaire from Qatar can finally enter Old Trafford is still full of variables.