MANCHESTER UNITED owner Avram Glazer was spotted leaving a hotel owned by takeover hopeful Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s father.
SunSport understands that Sir Jim Ratcliffe the Old Trafford hierarchy’s preferred bidder in the takeover bidding.
AlamyAvram Glazer during the women’s FA Cup final[/caption]
But the sale has taken a new twist as pictures published by The Mirror, show Glazer leaving Claridge’s.
Interestingly, the hotel is parent company of the Maybourne Hotel Group, owned by Sheikh Jassim’s father, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.
A huge complication over the five month selling process, which has seen THREE rounds of bidding. was the growing desire by co-chairman Joel and Avram Glazer to remain at the club.
But the American family are finally ready to sell United — with and Ratcliffe remains the frontrunner.
Ratcliffe and his Ineos petro-chemicals giant have been engaged in a drawn-out bidding war with Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani for ownership of British football’s biggest club.
The Glazers’ chosen deal-makers, the US-based Raine Group, expected to confirm the “winning” bid within days, we understand Ratcliffe is the preferred partner.
And that would mean an imminent exodus of the rest of the Old Trafford top brass including chief executive Richard Arnold – but not the two Glazer siblings.
Old Trafford insiders have indicated the Glazers would prefer to sell majority control to Ratcliffe’s Ineos Sport rather than flogging the whole club to Sheikh Jassim.
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While Sheikh Jassim’s £5bn bid for full control was the highest sum offered, Sir Jim and Ineos’ deal for 50 per cent valued the full club at a price point closer to the Glazers’ demanded £6bn.
And the Ineos offer will allow the two Glazers to retain their stakes while letting the four other siblings cash-out their shares.
A number of American financial institutions have also bid to buy minority stakes in the club that could allow the Glazers to retain control AND finance improvements to the Old Trafford stadium and Carrington training ground.
But it now seems a Ratcliffe-led partial takeover is the preferred option, despite Glazer’s visit to the five-star Claridge’s.
PASir Jim Ratcliffe is the Glazers’ preferred bidder[/caption]