Human rights concerns surrounding a Qatari-backed takeover of Manchester United won’t be at the forefront of the minds of supporters should it go through, according to a leading sports journalist.
It comes after it was revealed the country’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamas Al Thani is expected to make a world-record bid for the club.
The bid from the Middle Eastern country is unlikely to go unopposed, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group also likely to make an improved bid.
Qatar, the host nation of the 2022 World Cup, has faced questions over reported human rights abuses and its stance on LGBTQ+ rights.
Aidan Magee says human rights concerns aren't likely to be at the forefront of the minds of most supporters
PA / GB News
Speaking on GB News, sports reporter Aidan Magee said this is unlikely to put Manchester United supporters off the prospect of a Qatari takeover.
Speaking to Mark Longhurst, he said: “It will be briefly taken into consideration but lets look at where there money is.
“In all likelihood, they are going to bid very well. If you ask fans, they will say they want the club run sustainably.
“Man United are run sustainably anyway, they make so much money.
Qatar became the host nation for Lionel Messi's maiden World Cup triumph
PA
“But what they really want is investment in the team. They’re fed up of their team lying behind Liverpool and Manchester City in recent years, and Chelsea if you take a look back at the past 10 years or so.
“They want to be back on top. It’s been 10 years since they last won the Premier League title and there’s going to be an immediate injection of cash.
“You’ve got that leeway to do that at Manchester United because they aren’t affected as much by Financial Fair Play as their turnover is so high.”
A first round of bidding for the club took place last month, with perspective investors understood to have been given a deadline of 9pm on Wednesday to submit second offers.
No figures have been revealed but one or more of the initial bids were reportedly in the region of £4.5billion.
That would make them world record offers for a sports club but still some way short of the £6bn valuation reportedly placed on the club by current owners the Glazer family.
The Glazers acquired the club for £750million in a highly-leveraged deal in 2005. After a controversial reign, they announced they were seeking “strategic alternatives” that could include a sale last year.
Sheikh Jassim, the son of a former Qatari prime minister, is the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank. He has said his interest is a private initiative through his Nine Two Foundation and is not connected to the Qatari state.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is one of the bidders opposing the Qatari bid
PA
His representatives also visited Old Trafford last week for talks which were understood to be positive and constructive.
Amnesty International have issued warnings over the Qatari bid, saying Manchester United could become a part of a sportswashing programme.
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust issued a statement on Sunday airing concerns around multi-club ownership – due to Qatar Sports Investments’ control of Paris St Germain – and around human rights, with Amnesty saying the takeover battle at United is an “urgent reminder” of the need for the Premier League to tighten ownership rules.
“Fan groups are right to be concerned that a Qatari buyout of Manchester United is likely to be part of a wider programme of Qatari sportswashing, where the glamour of football is used to refashion the country’s image regardless of serious and systematic human rights abuses,” Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director, said.
“The Qatar World Cup has come and gone, yet we’re still waiting for reforms to improve the lives of exploited migrant workers in Qatar as well as a worker compensation fund – while disgraceful anti-LGBTQ+ laws remain in force, and freedom of speech and women’s rights are still unacceptably curtailed.
“Ever since the Newcastle United takeover we’ve been warning that the door is still wide open for state-linked purchasers to buy their way into the Premier League without the need to meet the necessary ethical standards.
“The drama at Old Trafford is another urgent reminder that the Premier League needs to overhaul its ownership rules to ensure they’re human rights-compliant.”
Sources linked to the bid insist Sheikh Jassim is bidding alone as a private individual, without any direct or indirect support from the Qatari state or the country’s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority.