According to reports reaching the editors of www.atspo.com, Sheikh Jassim, the third son of Qatar’s former emir, has given the Glazers an ultimatum that he will not negotiate further after this Friday.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani made a take-it-or-leave-it improved fifth and final offer of no more than £6 billion to buy Manchester United by the end of the week.
Sheikh Jassim and his advisers have grown frustrated with the lengthy process overseen by the Glazers, who planned to sell the club in November 2022.
This has prompted him to decide that Friday is the deadline for any further engagement, with the implication that if the bid is not accepted, he will withdraw.
Sheikh Jassim is also aware that if he is to become an owner, he must do so as soon as possible in order to provide Erik ten Hag with the best opportunity to strengthen his squad in the transfer market.
It is unclear whether Sheikh Jassim would withdraw his interest should his self-imposed Friday deadline not be met given the protracted nature of the process, which includes extended deadlines.
One explanation is that he fears Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the only other publicly declared bidder seeking to acquire a controlling interest in Manchester United, will outbid him, and the improved offer is his last-ditch effort to win the bid.
Sheikh believes that his offer is the better option because it would wipe out a £1 billion debt, is in cash, provides a separate fund for players, infrastructure, and other investment needs, and provides a high value for each share.
Throughout the process, the Qatari bidder has maintained a low profile despite promising a 100 per cent buyout.
