Manchester United bidder Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani may wince at the realisation that the club are yet to release their financial results for the year. Some are wondering whether the Glazers are intentionally delaying in anticipation of imminent takeover news, which would look promising for rival party Sir Jim Ratcliffe as he works to find a solution behind the scenes.
In nine of the last ten years, the Red Devils have released their annual financial results in September. A week of October has already come and gone, with no sign of an update from the Glazers.
According to The Daily Mail, some believe that the publication of results is being delayed on purpose so that groundbreaking takeover news can be unveiled at the same time.
The Glazers still have several weeks to file the club’s financial report before the legal cut-off, but the deadline is steadily approaching.
If the irregularity does turn out to be a takeover hint, it may not be a promising one for Sheikh Jassim. The Qatari banker, who has promised mammoth investment in United’s playing squad and infrastructure, has not tweaked his proposal since slapping an offer believed to be worth over £5billion on the table.
Sheikh Jassim wants to buy the club in its entirety, but there have been murmurs that Glazer brothers Joel and Avram are reluctant to make a clean break with United after 18 years of ownership.
By comparison, Sheikh Jassim’s bid remains unchanged since the one submitted back in June. The Glazers have had four months to mull it over with no sign of a breakthrough, and their exploration of ‘strategic alternatives’ has dragged on for almost a year.
Uncertainty behind the scenes has translated to a rocky start on the pitch this season. Erik ten Hag’s side had to fight until the bitter end against Brentford on Saturday, with two late goals from Scott McTominay sealing a hard-fought 2-1 win.
