The tussle to take over at Old Trafford is hotting up nearly three months after the Glazer family announced Manchester United had been put up for sale.
American businessmen Joel and Avram Glazer confirmed they were exploring "strategic alternatives" which could bring to an end their association with the club, which dates back to 2005. Malcolm Glazer, the pair's father, purchased United in a controversial leveraged buyout and his family members have overseen a troublesome era characterised by a growing rift between fan and owner.
The good news for the Red Devils faithful is that there is plenty of interest in taking control of the club from the Glazers. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is attempting to buy United and faces competition from a group of Qatari investors are in the race, while US and Saudi Arabian parties are also in the running.
It is not the first time tycoons from the Middle East state have attempted to buy the club. In fact, in 2011, Qatar's royal family submitted a £1billion offer which was turned down by the Glazers, according to the Daily Mail.
The report claimed the Gulf state's monarchy wanted to compete with their counterparts in Abu Dhabi, who took over Manchester City in September 2008. The deal to buy City was worth £200million, so the sum Qatari royals were ready to shell out for United three years later shows just how big a gulf there was between the two local rivals at the time.
After seeing their initial £1bn offer rebuffed, the Middle Eastern royals were reportedly preparing an improved bid of £1.5bn. However, they were unable to strike a deal with the Glazers because they were holding out for a fee of £1.8bn.
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The fees discussed just over a decade ago are far smaller than United's valuation today due to inflation and the vast growth of the Premier League. It is expected that a bid in the region of £4bn to £4.5bn will be enough to take over at Old Trafford, although the Glazers initially wanted a sum in excess of £6bn.
As for United's would-be owners from February 2011, a matter of months later, Qatar Sports Investments acquired a majority stake in Paris Saint-Germain and became the French giants' sole owner the following year. Crucially for the Red Devils this time around, the investors who want to buy the club are not linked to QSI, so, on paper, their ownership would not infringe regulations.
PSG have enjoyed vast success under the Qatari banner, winning eight Ligue 1 titles, although the Champions League has continued to evade them. Lionel Messi will aim to put an end to their wait for European glory this season, with the Parisians set to lock horns with Bayern Munich - who defeated them in the 2020 final - in the last 16, starting with a first leg on Tuesday.
