Qatar ‘set to make offer’ for Manchester United

Qatari investors have been keen to explore the possible purchase of a Premier League club

Manchester United were put up for sale in November (PA Archive)

Qatari investors are reportedly “set to make an offer” for Manchester United as speculation continues about the potential sale of the club.

The Glazer family, who have owned the Premier League side since 2005, indicated in November that would be willing to listen to offers.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has already signalled his interest in making an offer, with a Qatari consortium now set to also look to takeover the club, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Citing sources familiar with the potential offer, the report suggests that sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority are helping to develop the bid.

There have been heavily links between Qatar and investment in a Premier League club in the last few months, with the head of the investment group reported to have held talks about purchasing Tottenham Hotspur.

The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has been Paris Saint-Germain’s owner since 2011, with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) completing a full purchase a year later.

A statement from the Glazers on 22 November of last year said that the Manchester United owners would “consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company”.

Ratcliffe, a boyhood fan of the Old Trafford club and founder of petrochemical giants Ineos, confirmed his interest in a possible purchase in January.

The 70-year-old failed with a bid reported to be worth £4.25bn as Todd Boehly took over at Chelsea last year.

US-based investment banking firm the Raine Group, who oversaw that sale process, are acting as Manchester United’s exclusive financial advisors.