Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is reportedly still confident he will succeed in his bid to buy Manchester United, despite a report earlier this week suggesting that the Glazer brothers will retain ownership.
The banker and son of a former Qatari emir has been the favorite to take over the English soccer club through his Nine Two Foundation, ahead of Jim Ratcliffe, CEO of Ineos and Britain’s richest man.
Manchester United shares fell 13% following an ESPN report on Monday, citing an anonymous source, that owners and co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer are confident they will secure investment to continue owning the club and eventually double its value.
United’s shares briefly fell plunged to $18.91 per share on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday morning after the news broke, the lowest value since November.