Qatari investors have entered the race to take over Manchester United from the Glazer family, according to reports, but they expect a bid from a Saudi Arabian consortium.
The Daily Mail have claimed that investors are planning to table a bid in the coming days, and are confident it will 'blow the competition out of the water'.
Their only competition, at least publicly, is Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos company, which formally declared that it would enter the bidding process last month. Ratcliffe was born in Greater Manchester, and is a boyhood United fan.
Advert
It is claimed that, should the bid and takeover go through, the investors would be willing to hand manager Erik ten Hag substantial funds to spend on transfers.
The Qatari royal family attempted to buy United in 2011, but did not match the Glazers' reported £1.8 million asking price.
Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) currently own French giants PSG, and two clubs owned by the same entity cannot play in the same competition, such as the Champions League, although it is claimed that the planned bid for United will come from separate investors.
Advert
However, they may face serious competition from Saudi Arabia, a report has claimed.
Qatar 'expect Saudi competition' for Man Utd
A report in The Athletic last month alleged that Qatar expect a Saudi consortium to emerge as genuine contenders to take over United, even though the Saudi Public Investment Fund owns fellow Premier League club Newcastle.
This report has now been backed up by CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs. He also claims that any Qatari investors would seek the 'blessing' of QSI, who are said to have no direct involvement in any proposals, to bid for United.
Advert
During the World Cup, Saudi Arabia's sports minister told BBC Sport that the state would support any interest from the private sector in either United or Liverpool.
He said: "It's [the Premier League] the most-watched league in Saudi and the region and you have a lot of fans of the Premier League.
"We will definitely support it if any [Saudi] private sector comes in, because we know that's going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom. But if there's an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?"
Saudi Arabia's PIF took over an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle in 2021, and have since invested heavily in the transfer market, including the club-record signing of Alexander Isak for £63 million from Real Sociedad last summer.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Premier League