Despite the ongoing sale process and persistent on and off-field issues at the club, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are still keen to acquire Manchester United.
The Qatari banker and British industrialist have submitted bids valuing the club at around £5bn.
However, the Glazers, who currently own the club, have been holding out for higher offers, which has led to concerns that the longer they demand more money, the more the asset they are trying to sell is being devalued.
The Glazers announced a strategic review in November 2020, which could lead to a sale, and United’s CEO, Richard Arnold, confirmed that the process is still ongoing.
Despite Manchester United’s poor start to the season, which has seen them lose three out of their opening five Premier League games, the two bidders are undeterred.
The club has also faced off-field problems, including the sending of Mason Greenwood on loan to Getafe, allegations of assault against Antony, and Jadon Sancho training away from the first team after refusing to apologize for criticizing Erik ten Hag in a social media post.
United spent £183m in the summer transfer window but failed to sign their top targets, Harry Kane and Declan Rice, resulting in a decrease in the club’s share price by 18.2% in a single day earlier this month.
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There has always been a strong possibility that the Glazers will not sell, as they have never officially placed the club up for sale.
US hedge fund Elliott Management had also expressed interest in investing in the club, which could have allowed the Glazers to remain as majority shareholders.
However, discontent towards the Glazers’ ownership has been growing among Manchester United fans ever since the family took over the club through a leveraged buyout in 2005.
Former United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has spoken out for the first time since losing his job almost two years ago.
In an interview with The Athletic, Solskjaer revealed that the club missed out on signing top players, including Erling Haaland, Moises Caicedo, Jude Bellingham, Rice, and Kane.
He also disclosed that he believed Kane wanted to move to United. The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, which felt right at the time, turned out to be a mistake, according to Solskjaer.
He also admitted that some of his players “weren’t as good as their own perception of themselves.”
