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Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim has just received a glimpse into the future
Manchester United takeover: Sheikh Jassim remains eager to purchase the club, despite facing stiff competition from Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
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With Manchester City winning the treble on Saturday night, it’s possible Sheikh Jassim will now be even more eager to purchase Manchester United. The Qatari billionaire has made five bids for the club so far as he looks to seize power at Old Trafford. And the triumph of Pep Guardiola’s side has offered a glimpse into the future and how things could work out.
Sheikh Jassim still hasn’t walked away from the Manchester United takeover process, despite insisting he’d abandon his pursuit if his latest offer wasn’t accepted.
Instead, momentum is growing that it’ll be the Qatari billionaire - instead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe - who ends up securing power.
The Glazers appear reluctant to do a deal with Ratcliffe, with reports earlier in the week suggesting the family had actually been hoping Sheikh Jassim would up his own offer.
And if the mysterious figure does end up reigning supreme, then he’ll set his sights firmly on replicating the success of Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City.
On Saturday night, Pep Guardiola emulated Sir Alex Ferguson by steering his side to a historic treble.
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City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the final of the Champions League, with Rodri scoring the only goal of the game.
It has been 15 years in the making, with City previously failing to win the trophy despite the large sums of money they’ve spent.
Without a doubt, they’re now the most-dominant force in not just domestic football, but European football as well.
City have had to be patient, of course.
Mark Hughes was manager at the time of their blockbuster takeover in 2008 but the 59-year-old was never going to win the biggest trophies on offer.
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Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini both won silverware, but never got near a Champions League triumph.
Ever since hiring Guardiola, however, the blue moon has truly started to rise.
But Sheikh Jassim will want a red one to start re-appearing again, too.
The foundations are certainly in place, with Erik ten Hag overseeing a positive first season in the dugout following his appointment 12 months ago.
United won the Carabao Cup under the Dutchman, while also reaching the FA Cup final and qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
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If you have unlimited funds, like City do, then winning trebles becomes far more achievable.
That’s not to detract from their achievement, of course. They’ve spent better than their rivals - and also have the best manager in the world too.
Sheikh Jassim can be forgiven for looking at the City project and wanting a piece of the action.
He insists he’s a United fan - and Middle-Eastern money seems to be the fastest way of stopping City in the coming years ahead.
Meanwhile, speaking after winning his third Champions League trophy, Guardiola admitted he was honoured to have emulated the achievement of Ferguson.
"I can’t wait to be on the bus with the three trophies,” he said.
“It’s an honour for me to be like Sir Alex Ferguson – he sent me a message this morning."
Whether United end up being owned by Sheikh Jassim remains to be seen.
But the future can be bright, certainly, if he beats Ratcliffe and wins the race.