Qatari Sheikh Jassim’s Interest Shifts to Tottenham Hotspur After Failed Man United Bid
After a failed attempt to take over Manchester United, Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim is now reportedly setting his sights on purchasing another Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur.
The wealthy Qatari investor had initially made a £5 billion bid to acquire a 100% stake in Manchester United. However, negotiations with the Glazer family, who bought the club for £790 million in 2005, ultimately fell through. This left British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of the INEOS Group, as the leading bidder.
According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the total value of Sheikh Jassim’s offer exceeded twice the actual market valuation of Manchester United, which stands at approximately £2.6 billion.
Undeterred by this setback, the Qatari magnate remains committed to his ambition of owning a Premier League club.
ESPN football analyst Mark Ogden suggests that the Qataris might explore an alternative option and consider the purchase of Premier League rival Tottenham Hotspur. He commented during an interview with The United Stand, saying, “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.”
Daniel Levy, chairman of Spurs, revealed last month that the club’s owners would be open to selling a stake in the club, which they have owned since 2001. In an interview with Bloomberg, Levy stated, “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.”
According to Football London, Levy has already discussed the club board’s approach to a potential takeover amid ongoing links to a takeover bid from Qatari-based Sheikh Jassim.
