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Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim-led group and Sir Jim Ratcliffe both submitted their final bids for Manchester United before the 10pm Friday deadline as the takeover process reached what is expected to be a frantic last stage.
Sheikh Jassim’s bid is for 100 per cent of the club and includes a plan to invest a further significant amount in additional capital and infrastructure, including on Old Trafford, and would look to remove all debt from the club.
Ratcliffe has also submitted his final offer. The Ineos owner is said to have been “exploring all options”, including multi-layered potential deals to try and give the Glazer family different choices to think about. One of those has been a 20 per cent stake for Avram and Joel Glazer, although the British billionaire is insistent on 100 per cent control.
Despite various parties involved previously insisting that this last day before deadline would be “quiet”, it has been much more frantic than many sources anticipated, with some describing “game-playing” and “poker faces”.
The Independent has been told that the 10pm Friday deadline is this time final, with the Glazers expected to make a decision in the next few days.
United and the Raine Group, who have been handling the bids, also want to avoid the takeover from dragging on and a statement could even come within the next week.
