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Manchester United staff were reportedly banned from taking annual leave this month because of hopes Sheikh Jassim would buy the club.
But it is Sir Jim Ratcliffe who is now ready to make a splash at Old Trafford.
The Glazers confirmed in November that they were open to selling United, promising a ‘strategic review’.
Yet, on Saturday night, Sheikh Jassim confirmed he had withdrawn his offer – resulting in Ratcliffe buying a 25 per cent stake.
Manchester United employees hoped that Sheikh Jassim would buy the club
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According to The Sun, United staff are left shocked by the dramatic developments.
It is claimed he has been told not to book any annual leave this month to help push through the takeover from Qatar.
Meetings were apparently held last week to try to ‘save’ the bid from Sheikh Jassim.
Many of the six-strong Glazer family have been described as ‘happy to sell out’ to the Qatari billionaire.
However, Joel Glazer intervened when the American was reluctant to leave United behind for a long time.
The report said Glazer, who was in control of the process, wanted to either keep a majority stake or accept an increased bid of £6 billion.
And after Sheikh Jassim rejected their offer, United have now committed Ratcliffe instead.
They will vote Thursday on whether to accept the 70-year-old’s minority investment offer.
United are bracing themselves for a backlash, with many supporters calling for the longtime Glazers to be sold and ultimately leave after 18 turbulent years at the helm.
The fallen giants were initially successful after the Glazers purchased the club in 2005.
In the years that followed, United won five Premier League titles, as well as the Champions League.
However, since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, the silverware has dried up.
United have won only four trophies since the Scot walked into the sunset.
And they have also spent millions on the likes of Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho, Harry Maguire and Romelu Lukaku.
It will be interesting to see what Sheikh Jassim and the Qatar camp decide to do now.
There has been talk since last year that the mystery man would try to buy either Tottenham or West Ham if United’s pursuit failed.
However, it is still unclear what their plans are.
Meanwhile, in February, INEOS outlined its plans for United.
“We can confirm that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have submitted a bid for majority ownership of Manchester United Football Club,” it said in a statement.
“We will view our role as long-term patrons of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community.
latest developments:
Sir Jim Ratcliffe outlines his vision for Manchester United in February
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“We are ambitious and highly competitive and want to invest in Manchester United to make it the number one club in the world once again.
“We also believe that football governance in this country is at a crossroads.
“We want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centric approach to ownership.
“We want Manchester United to stay true to its proud history and roots in the north-west of England, bring Manchester back to Manchester United and clearly focus on winning the Champions League.”
