WANNABE Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim has set up a UK Holding – fuelling talk that he will win the race to buy the club.
Jassim is one of two directors of a firm called Nine Two UK Holdings that was incorporated today and registered at Companies House.
Sheikh Jassim has been named as the director of a UK company
Rio Ferdinand shared an update on the Qatari takeover
AFPSir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos appear to have lost out[/caption]
All 100 shares in the new UK company are held by Nine Two Holdings LLC in Doha.
In February, the Qatari banker announced his bid would be carried out through the Nine Two Foundation, a reference to United’s famous Class Of ‘92 academy players that included David Beckham.
United fans desperate for Jassim to beat Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Ineos Group to the takeover will hope it is a sign of all the pieces falling into place.
The Doha-based billionaire is thought to have bid more than £5.5billion to take full control of United.
Ratcliffe’s bid is for majority control and could leave some of the Glazer family, most likely Avram and Joel, with influence in the club – an absolute no-no for some supporters.
Earlier this week it was reported that Jassim HAD been chosen as the preferred bidder.
But Qatari sources rowed back from that after the rumours surfaced.
Setting up the UK holding company could simply be a precaution in order to be ready to seal the deal as soon as possible.
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Firms are frequently set up yet never end up becoming active because deals break down.
But for Jassim, 41, to go so public with his preparations suggests he is confident.
His fellow director is named as Abdulrahman Abdulla Al-Ansari, 30.
If this is the Abdulrahman Al-Ansari that appears on LinkedIn, he is a businessman and lawyer who most recently worked for Milaha, a major shipping and logistics firm based in Qatar.
Intriguingly, his most recent job is listed as “Confidential” and began last month.
It could all be an elaborate hoax. But United fans who want the Glazers out and Qatari wealth in will hope it is another step towards their dream.
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand believes the takeover is imminent and shared an update on his YouTube channel, saying: “The Qatari takeover is something that we’ve been waiting for a long time.
“We’re hearing that it’s close, within a matter of days it will happen, if not hours.
“Fingers crossed that it is right, I’ve got it from a good source that it is true.”