Despite Sheikh Jassim’s recent resignation from the Premier League, Qatari investment may still be present.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s withdrawal from the battle to acquire Manchester United does not preclude Qatari investment in the Premier League from occurring. with the past year, Tottenham and Liverpool have also dabbled with Middle Eastern investment, and new financial infusions may make fans of Manchester United wonder what might have been.
Sheikh Jassim headed a group of Qatari investors in their quest to acquire 100% of United up until this past weekend. The well-known businessman had a chance up until Saturday, when he abruptly withdrew from the contest after another offering was turned down.
At Old Trafford, the Qatari proposal planned to show off its financial might by renovating the stadium, upgrading the training facilities, and spending money on the playing staff.
It might be up to rival bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe to attempt to lead United back to the top of the Premier League in Sheikh Jassim’s absence. The billionaire owner of Petrochemicals is still engaged in discussions with the Glazers and is making efforts to come to an agreement.
Given the potentially dramatic impact Sheikh Jassim’s departure may have had on Erik ten Hag’s squad, many United supporters will have been dismayed to learn about it. One of the players mentioned as prospective transfer targets if the Middle Eastern deal had been successful was Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain.
The Glazers’ departure from Old Trafford may now be postponed as Sir Jim looks into options that could keep them there in some form. And seeing Liverpool or Spurs gain from Qatari money would not make them feel any better.
According to Bloomberg, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), the Doha-based investment firm that controls PSG, has targeted the Reds and Tottenham among other Premier League powerhouses.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the head of QSI, reportedly spoke with Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham, about buying a small part in the team, and a full purchase of Liverpool has apparently been discussed. Fenway Sports Group placed the Merseyside team up for sale last year, but it was eventually pulled off the market. Chairman John W Henry is reportedly still looking for new investment at Anfield.
It would still be a stinging blow for United to see sworn enemies Liverpool and other top-four contenders Tottenham boosted by the country’s enormous coffers, even though QSI represents a different source of Qatar-based finance than Sheikh Jassim was giving.
During the international break, Liverpool was five points ahead of Ten Hag’s team while Spurs was eight points ahead of the Red Devils in the Premier League standings.
