Manchester United's takeover saga continues to rumble on but there is mounting confidence that Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani's bid for the Red Devils will eventually prove successful.
In truth, not too much is known about Jassim. An elusive character, he has not properly discussed his plans for United in the many months that have passed since his intentions to take over at Old Trafford became clear. However, fans will surely be delighted to discover that not only is he a supporter of the club, but he also appears to share the majority's opinion of the Glazer family.
Born in 1982, Jassim is a lifelong United fan but was not actually present at the stadium when the Qatari delegation were given a guided tour of Old Trafford. With that being said, as per the Athletic, it is believed he is incredibly passionate about the team's success and tunes into every fixture.
The post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at United is one that has brought minimal success by the club's usual standards and Jassim, like many at Old Trafford, allegedly feels that is at least partly down to the Glazers. His view is that the Americans have "underinvested" and there "is plenty to do" before the club can be restored to its former glory.
This will go down well with United supporters who protested the Glazer's ownership earlier this week outside the stadium, which briefly forced the club shop to close on the launch day of the new home strip.
United has been up for sale since November of last year, but it seems as if the saga is finally nearing its end. It's believed Jassim's latest offer is worth £5.5bn for a 100 per cent takeover of United.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Would Sheikh Jassim be the right custodian of United? Comment below
Around £1bn of that jaw-dropping sum will be used to clear the club's significant debt accrued by the Glazers, as well as another fund to help club and community projects.
If Jassim's offer is accepted, it would seal United's status as the most expensive sports club in history. However, it could also mean he has drastically overpaid, as the Red Devils are actually estimated to be worth between £3bn and £3.4bn
Chartered accountant and football finance analyst Viva Mukherjee shed light on the thought process behind the overpayment to Football Insider. He said: "There are 54,500 ordinary A shareholders and the Glazers own 110,000 of class B Shares at Manchester United.
"Today’s share price sits at around $25, but the market value has soared to over $26 when we have seen reports about Qatar winning the bid. If the Glazers sold at the same rate as the stock market, the value of the club would sit around £3bn to £3.4bn."
