The Qatari consortium might be closer to the acquisition of Manchester United, but the situation remains unclear. Reuters reported on Thursday that the English club is negotiating the granting of exclusivity to the Qatari consortium led by Sheikh Jassim for a sale of more than $6 billion. On the other hand, as per English journalist Simon Stone, the club denied that there has been any exclusivity granted and the talks continue between the parties.
The Glazers family started the process of potentially selling the club last November, when they announced they were exploring options for the future of Manchester United. The American family own a minority stakes and control it thanks to a dual-class share structure. As per the source cited by Reuters, the Glazers "would be cashing out as part of the proposed deal".
The Qatari offer is "currently viewed by the Glazers more favorably than a bid from British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe", founder of chemicals producer INEOS. Ratcliffe's bid embraces the idea that the Glazers would stay in some way at the club in the future, as per Reuters.
Manchester United would not be allowed to negotiate with any bidder other than Sheikh Jassim for the exclusivity period, if it were to be granted. The sources cited by the new agency also cautioned that the situation "remained fluid and a new bid from Ratcliffe could prevent Sheikh Jassim from securing exclusivity."
The team coached by Erik ten Hag ended up third in the league with 75 points scored and qualified for the 2023-24 Champions League. Also, the Red Devils won the Carabao Cup and lost to Manchester City the FA Cup final on June 3.
