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Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim awaits Manchester United decision as West Ham rumors swirl

A report by El Pais linked the Qatari royal to the east London-based team.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Angelo Ogbonna of West Ham United battles for possession with Rodrigo Moreno of Leeds United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Leeds United at London Stadium on May 21, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani is still awaiting a decision from the Glazer family about whether his offer to buy British soccer club Manchester United will succeed, as a report emerged saying that the Qatari royal may think about trying to buy English Premier League rival West Ham if he fails in his takeover attempt.

Jassim, a 44-year-old chairman of Qatar Investment Bank (QIB) and son of a former emir of Qatar, has been racing to buy Manchester United through his Nine Two Foundation since the beginning of the year and is waiting with bidding rival Jim Ratcliffe, the CEO of petrochemicals firm INEOS, to hear back from United's current owners.

The Glazers have owned the club since 2005 but said last November that they were considering “strategic alternatives” for the Red Devils that could include a takeover.

Last week, Jassim put in an eleventh-hour bid for the soccer club that was just shy of the Glazers’ £6 billion ($7.5 billion) valuation of the sporting franchise. The original deadline for the third and final round bids was April 28.

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