Qatari bidders for Man Utd ‘hold belief’ about UEFA rule wrecking deal

Qatari bidders for Manchester United are reportedly confident they can prove they are separate entities to Paris Saint-Germain’s owners. Any prospective buyer of the Red Devils must prove they have no majority control over another club playing in the same competitions as the Premier League team

UEFA rules might have proved a hitch for any Qatari state-backed bid for United. That is because Qatar Sports Investments, a subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund, own French champions PSG. 

Several Qatari-based entities are reported to be interested in buying the 20-times English league champions. However, at least one has apparently insisted that it is a private consortium separate to the state. 

All the bidders supposedly believe that they have sufficient evidence to pass the UEFA rule. They must prove that they are sepate to the QSI group that owns PSG, and whose chairman is the Ligue 1 club’s president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi. 

That is according to the i paper, who report that the Qatari bidders are ‘very confident’ that they can ‘comfortably’ pass UEFA’s rules. It would allow United to compete in the Champions League and any other European competition alongside PSG. 

The report adds that a group of Qatari private investors will make a bid for United by Friday’s deadline. The Raine Group – the bank overseeing the process – have told bidders they must submit their plans by midnight. 

Some supporters have raised concerns about any potential Qatari involvement in the club due to the Middle East country’s human rights record. Couples engaging in a same-sex marriage face arrest in Qatar, while women’s rights have come under strong scrutiny from human rights groups. 

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