Miserable finances as a result of a series of miserable elections and a historically bad Premier League season can bring may bring Sheikh Jassim back into the picture at Manchester United, but most importantly the Glazer family who are some sneaky guys (and a sister or two I think have got a clause in their sale deal that should have prevented Sir Jim Ratcliffe from signing.
As if the summer transfer window wasn’t important enough for Manchester United, there will soon be changes to the terms of the Glazer family’s ownership of the club.
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Manchester United has been owned by the Glazer family since 2005, and many of the club’s supporters have been unhappy with the ownership. The unpopular takeover led to the formation of the protest club FC United of Manchester and the movement Love United Hate Glazer. Discontent among supporters has only grown since the legendary manager Alex Ferguson resigned.
Manchester United should still have the ability to claim trophies from time to time and will be confident ahead of the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao next Wednesday.
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But the Red Devils have fallen out of the top of the Premier League, and the situation at Old Trafford has worsened at the same time.
Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS bought in towards the end of 2023 and a series of disastrous decisions behind the scenes have coincided with a miserable season in the Premier League. The road ahead can be very difficult.
Glazers could force a sale in three months
According to The Athletic, the Glazer family is three months away from being able to activate their drag-along rights, which could change the ownership picture for both Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim.
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The Manchester Evening News explains:
“Americans will soon have the opportunity to activate their drag-along rights, which means that the majority owners can force minority owners, such as Sir Jim Ratcliffe, to sell their shares when the majority sells their stake to a third party.
This development could force Sheikh Jassim back to the negotiating table, as the Glazers could potentially offer him the opportunity to pressure Ratcliffe to sell his shares – unless he can match any offers.
What does this mean for Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim?
If the potential Qatari investor strikes a deal with the Glazers, Ratcliffe’s shares – currently around 29% – will also be affected.
The Manchester Evening News adds:
“If the Glazers sell to a third party within 18 months of the activation of the drag-along rights, Ratcliffe can expect to get back what he paid for his investment in United.
“But if the owners are unable to complete a sale before this, the British billionaire may be forced to sell at the price the Glazers agree with a buyer.
Will Sheikh Jassim make a new offer?
Sheikh Jassim’s goal of owning Manchester United entirely could tempt him to make a new bid under the updated terms.
But his ability to complete such an acquisition is still unclear.
According to the Manchester Evening News:
– According to the filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last year, Sheikh Jassim did not show sufficient evidence of financing and then withdrew from the process.- Now that Donald Trump has effectively shut down the SEC, that should not be a problem anymore.
Now the football world is eagerly awaiting what happens next – and whether Sheikh Jassim will make another attempt to take over the club.
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