Sheikh Jassim “confident” of success with Manchester United bid

A recent report by Jamie Jackson of the Guardian has indicated that Sheikh Jassim is confident that his bid to buy Manchester United will succeed.

The news comes just a day after earlier reports by ESPN that the Glazers were “increasingly confident” of staying as Manchester United owners by securing outside investment for a minority stake.

The contrasting round of reports sums up the Manchester United takeover saga so far which has been mired in uncertainty and confusion.

Manchester United takeover saga- PR battle played out in public?

When the ESPN reports came out, another perspective in all the doom and gloom was that it was a public ploy by Glazers to strengthen their negotiating position.

By laying down a marker that they were willing to stay as owners and having the funding secured to do so, it was a signal to potential bidders that they need to up their bids for them to succeed.

So far, there have been only two public bidders for Manchester United who are aiming to take control of the club. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim have made it past two rounds of bidding and a third is to be conducted before the end of April.

Therefore, these reports and counter-narrative reports can be looked at as a perception battle between the buying party (Sheikh Jassim/Jim Ratcliffe) and the selling party (Glazers).

With United’s precarious situation relating to Financial Fair Play, combined with a creaking Old Trafford and a squad in need of elite reinforcements, it has been clear for quite some time that Glazers couldn’t go on as owners of the club with their current financial commitments. Therefore, their negotiating position had been weakened somewhat, especially through the lens of the fans who want them gone desperately.

Combine the Glazers’ position with Sheikh Jassim’s commitment to spend on the stadium and surrounding areas, in addition to transfer funds and 100% control of the club, it is easy to see why Glazers feel the need to make it clear they won’t bow down to public pressure.

On the other hand, Sheikh Jassim’s camp has always been keen to stress their commitment towards making this deal a reality. Despite some reported concerns surrounding his bid, it is widely expected that if it comes down to meeting the Glazers’ asking price, Sheikh Jassim will be the outright favourite over Sir Jim Ratcliffe due to his financial might.

Columns have been written and discussed endlessly. Now with the season inching to an end, a resolution needs to be achieved sooner rather than later to give the manager and squad time to prepare for the next season.

The question is, in this battle of perception played out in the media, who blinks first?