Qatari investors are planning a takeover bid for Manchester United within days, according to a new report - having seen a previous takeover attempt from the state's royal family fail.
The club's current owners, the Glazer family, announced in November that they were seeking 'strategic alternatives' for United, and were open to a partial or full sale as part of that process.
Ineos, the company founded by boyhood United fan Sir Jim Ratcliffe, formally declared its intention to enter the bidding process for the club last month - the first interested party to do so.
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The Daily Mail claim Qatari investors are planning to launch their bid before the mid-February deadline, and are said to be 'confident their bid will blow the competition out of the water'.
One stumbling block could be that Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) currently own PSG, and two clubs owned by the same entity are unable to play in the same competition, such as the Champions League. But it is claimed that the bid for United would comprise of separate investors.
Qatari investors did attempt to take over United in 2011 - but failed in their efforts.
Why did Qatari bid for Man Utd fail?
In February 2011, sources told the Daily Mail that the royal family of Qatar had a £1 billion bid rejected by the Glazer family to take over United. It was claimed that part of the motivation behind the offer was to compete with the Abu Dhabi royal family, which took over Manchester City in September 2008.
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It was said that they were preparing an increased bid of £1.5 billion, but that the Glazers wanted closer to £1.8 billion.
The difference in asking price compared to the modern day is monumental, with reports claiming that it could take a bid of $10 billion (around £8.2 billion) to finalise any deal this time around.
QSI then acquired a majority stake in PSG in June 2011, before becoming the club's sole owner the following year. Under QSI ownership, PSG have won 29 trophies, including eight league titles. They are yet to win the Champions League, however, with their run to the final in 2020 representing their best finish in the competition.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Premier League, Qatar