Sheikh Jassim could be given Man United takeover chance after Spurs claims

Sheikh Jassim could have another opportunity to invest in a Premier League club with Manchester United and Tottenham as the two main options. The Glazer family have just surpassed 20 years as the owners of Man United but full takeover talk has arrived in the last few years. Qatari banker Jassim attempted to purchase the club and take full control but a deal never materialised. Instead, INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe instead became minority shareholders with their 33 per cent stake in United finalised in February 2024. Despite that, he could actually lose his stake in the club as the Glazers will soon have the power to activate their drag-along rights. That means the majority shareholders could force minority shareholders, such as Ratcliffe, to sell their shares when the majority sells their stake to a third party, according to The Athletic. Their report adds that those rights will come into effect in three months. This development could see Jassim return to try and buy the football club with it having been made clear he is still interested. An advisor, back in December, shared with the Daily Mail: “Sheikh Jassim is still a rich guy. He is still a United fan. He is not going to rush off and try another Premier League club. “If the opportunity to buy the whole of Manchester United arose again at some point in the future, it is hard to see there not being a big level of interest. The plans are still there.” That stance remaining the case would likely rule out a takeover attempt of Tottenham following Daniel Levy’s honest comments about accepting outside investment. Just over 12 months ago, Levy was quoted saying: “To capitalise on our long-term potential, to continue to invest in the teams and undertake future capital projects, the club requires a significant increase in its equity base. The board and its advisors, Rothschild and Co, are in discussions with prospective investors.” However, he also admitted the process will not be rushed. “Any recommended investment proposal would require the support of the club’s shareholders,” he clarified. Jassim’s interest in Spurs was first suggested back in 2023. Speaking to The United Stand YouTube channel, journalist Mark Ogden said: “They want the Premier League footprint. “Somebody told me recently, they said that if the Qataris don’t buy Manchester United, they’ll be back and they might end up buying Tottenham. “He said, look, if you’ve got Manchester City owned by Abu Dhabi, you’ve got Newcastle owned by Saudi Arabia, if Qataris maybe buy Tottenham, then you’ve got three clubs who can pull away. “Every year, it would be United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal fighting for fourth spot, which is quite a terrifying prospect for (them).” A look behind the scenes & Postecoglou’s big decision against Aston Villa. Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! We have an all-English Europa League final and focus now will be on how fans can get their hands on tickets, but also get out to Bilbao for the match on Wednesday, May 21. The best way to get to Bilbao will be to fly, although most direct flights are now fully booked. There are other way sto go though, with different airports an option. Check out SkyScanner here to sort out your travel arrangements.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.