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Sheikh Jassim pledges extra £800m in Man Utd takeover after Ronaldo’s Controversial message

With the Manchester United takeover story coming to an end, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has offered to invest an additional $1 billion (£800 million) in the club’s infrastructure and facilities in order to outbid Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe, the CEO of petrochemicals firm Ineos, is thought to have valued the club more than Sheikh Jassim and the other competitor bids filed during the process’s third and final stage last week.

Furthermore, the lifelong Manchester United fan would be willing to accommodate Avram and Joel Glazer’s wishes by allowing the pair to retain a small stake in the club. Ratcliffe’s initial offer is for the Glazers’ controlling 69% stake in the club, rather than 100% ownership.

According to a new report from City AM, Sheikh Jassim’s final offer for the club, which is estimated to be around £5 billion, includes an additional £800 million set aside for improving the club’s infrastructure, primarily much-needed renovations at Old Trafford and the club’s Carrington training facilities.

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Cristiano Ronaldo recently slammed Manchester United’s facilities, claiming that there has been little progress made to the club’s infrastructure since his initial departure in 2009.

During his dramatic, contentious interview with Piers Morgan prior to his departure, he emphasized that adjustments should be done in light of the club’s status and stature.

“Nothing changed [since I left],” Ronaldo told TalkTV back in November. “The pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym, even some technology. Even the chefs who I appreciate, are lovely people. I thought I would see new technology and infrastructure. I saw things I saw when I was 20, 21, 23.”

Others, notably Ronaldo’s former colleague Gary Neville, have criticized the state of Old Trafford in recent years, admitting that the club has “fallen behind” several Premier League rivals in terms of the quality of their facilities.

Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe will now have to wait in suspense until the Glazers make their final decision. Although the current Manchester United owners invited takeover bids when they announced they were looking into “strategic alternatives” in November, there has been much speculation that they may decide to keep their controlling stake while selling a minority stake to a hedge fund.

After the deadline for third and final bids passed at the end of last week, Raine Group, the US bank overseeing the process for the Glazer family, is expected to be in a position to announce a preferred bidder soon.