Qatari banker and billionaire Sheikh Jassim, who recently withdrew from the race to acquire Manchester United, is reportedly shifting his attention to another Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur.
Sheikh Jassim had made a £5 billion bid to purchase a 100% stake in Manchester United, but negotiations with the Glazer family, who acquired the club for £790 million in 2005, ultimately broke down.
As a result, British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of the INEOS group, emerged as the primary bidder for Manchester United.
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According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the total value of Sheikh Jassim’s offer significantly exceeded Manchester United’s actual market valuation, which stands at approximately £2.6 billion.
However, Sheikh Jassim is said to remain determined to realize his ambition of owning a Premier League club.
ESPN football analyst Mark Ogden suggested that the Qataris might consider pursuing Premier League rivals Tottenham instead.
Ogden stated, “PSG was a great move because it’s Paris. It’s a great city, but I think they’ve found over the years that Ligue 1 is just not big enough.
“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.”
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy indicated last month that the club’s owners would be open to selling a stake in the club, which they have owned since 2001.
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Levy mentioned, “If anyone wants to make serious propositions to the board of Tottenham, we will consider it along with our advisors. And if we felt it was in the club’s interests, we would be open to anything.”
Football London also reported that Levy had already discussed the club board’s approach to a potential takeover, particularly in light of the links with a bid from Qatari-based Sheikh Jassim.