A SENSATIONAL report has claimed that Old Trafford could be DEMOLISHED and rebuilt if the Qatar group complete their Manchester United takeover.
The Glazers revealed in November that they were willing to listen to offers for either a stake in the Premier League giants or an outright purchase.
ReutersMan Utd’s iconic Old Trafford could be demolished and rebuilt as part of a Qatar takeover[/caption]
A number of parties have expressed an interest in buying United, which could be purchased for a world-record price for a sports franchise at close to, or above, £6billion.
Interest comes from the Far East, Middle East and United States with Raines Group, the merchant bank tasked with the sale.
British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who happens to be a Man Utd fan, is also keen.
But according to the Daily Mail, a Qatar-based investment group will bid for Man Utd.
And that could lead to the Theatre of Dreams having a “state-of-the-art” refurd.
The Mail states: “United’s owners are seeking more than £6 billion for the club, and there is the prospect of another huge bill to redevelop Old Trafford, or knock down the iconic venue and build a new state-of-the-art facility.
“Such a project could cost more than £2bn, but that would not be a problem for the Qatari group.”
According to this latest update, an offer for United is expected to be made in the coming days ahead of the mid-February deadline set by the Glazers.
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The investment group are said to be confident that their bid will blow any competition out of the water.
The Qataris are also putting fan engagement at the heart of their takeover bid.
They will seek the views of supporters on the future of Old Trafford.
However, a stumbling block that could block a takeover is Qatar Sports Investments’ ownership of PSG.
One entity cannot own two clubs in the same competition — and United and PSG could meet in Europe.
The bid for United would come from separate, individual Qatari investors and there is ZERO interest in taking a partial stake – something the Glazers have been interested in.
French giants Paris Saint-Germain are currently under Qatari ownership, but as we reported previously, they are unable to redevelop the club’s iconic Parc des Princes stadium.