Qatar Emir joins race to buy Manchester United for £4.5bn

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, has expressed an interest in buying Manchester United but only for £4.5bn well below the valuation of £6bn by the current owners.

Any bid by the Emir would require a regulation change from UEFA as he already owns Paris Saint Germain (PSG), which he purchased in 2011 through Qatar Sports Investment. Current rules do not allow clubs under the same ownership to meet in any league or competition, which the two clubs are likely to do in one or another of the European cup competitions.

According to the Guardian newspaper on Wednesday, February 8 the Emir´s representatives are working to try and find a resolution.

The Glazer family, whose ownership of the club has never been popular, put the club up for sale in November 2022 bringing a 17-year association with Manchester United to an end. The Glazer´s are said to be in the “process of exploring strategic alternatives.”

The Raine Group have been appointed as financial advisers following their successful handling of the Chelsea sale.

The Emir is not the only one interested in acquiring the club with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of Ineos and one of Britain’s richest people, having expressed interest. The 70-year-old is a local boy and a lifelong supporter.

Qatari ownership is a hot topic at the moment and not one that is likely to go down well with the Manchester United faithful, many of whom dislike the country for its treatment of workers, women, LGBTQ people and for using sports to try and improve its image whilst making little attempt to change.

The Premier League have already come in for criticism following the Saudi takeover of Newcastle United, with the country´s human rights record being highly controversial.

Some believe that the Premier League needs to tighten up its rules to ensure that British football is not used to help these countries in “sportswashing” their images.

Although the Emir of Qatar has shown interest in acquiring Manchester United, it is less likely to be successful given the difference in the valuation coupled with the interest shown by others.

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