Journalist drops major Man Utd takeover update as Qatar 'NFL clause' claim made

The Qatar-based bid for Manchester United has proposed to insert an 'NFL clause' in their offer to buy the club, according to a new report.

Sheikh Jassim, who is bidding for the club through his Nine Two foundation, is said to have submitted his revised offer for United overnight between Friday and Saturday.

That's according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solkehol, who claimed that the bid has been described as 'highly competitive' and would make the club debt-free if successful.

Meanwhile, Sportico reported that the bid from Sheikh Jassim was expected to be 'around the ballpark' of the alleged figure that the club's current owners, the Glazer family, are demanding in order to sell. That figure is said to be £6 billion.

Another of the public bidders, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos, confirmed they had submitted a revised bid for the club on Thursday. US hedge fund Elliott Management making an offer for a minority stake before Wednesday's 9pm deadline, which was extended for the above candidates.

Now, more intriguing details have been revealed about the Qatar bid.

Qatar bid's 'NFL clause' revealed

According to The Sun's Richard Moriarity, some of the talks between Sheikh Jassim and the Glazers centred around the NFL, with the family owning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise.

The journalist claims that one discussion involved a joint venture between the Sheikh and the Glazers, which would see an NFL game held in the Middle East.

Speaking to The Sun, a source said: "Part of his [Sheikh Jassim's] proposal has been that the Glazers could bring their NFL team to Qatar for an exhibition game in the national stadium in Doha.

"This would help cement Qatar's stature as a destination for sporting spectacles and offer the Glazers a chance to spread their NFL brand and cash in.

"Sheikh Jassim has offered to insert a clause in any takeover deal guaranteeing this and it appeals to the Glazers."

The Buccaneers have won NFL's Super Bowl twice under Glazer ownership, most recently in 2020.

They drafted NFL legend Tom Brady in 2020, with the then 42-year-old going on to be named Super Bowl MVP during the above final.

Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Qatar

Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.