Qatari group drops United bid as Glazers weigh stake sale

Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani is highly unlikely to revive his bid to buy Manchester United, despite reports that members of the Glazer family are considering selling their stakes in the club. The Glazers, who have been majority owners since 2005, have held internal discussions about a potential sale, according to a recent report, but senior club sources have emphatically dismissed the speculation.

The Qatari group, which sought a complete takeover of the Premier League club in 2023, has not been contacted by the Glazers or their representatives to gauge renewed interest. Sources familiar with the group's position indicate that even if approached, they would have no intention of returning to negotiations. The group is described as remaining scarred from its previous experience, having made a final offer reported to be around £5 billion for full control, only for the Glazers to instead sell a minority stake to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe’s INEOS group purchased an initial 25 percent stake for approximately £1.3 billion at the start of 2024, a share that has since increased to around 29 percent. That deal included an option for a future...