Sport

Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim ramps up second offer as all bidders in agreement

Manchester United have seen their takeover bid ramped up after Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani submitted a second offer.

The Qatar-based investor, who is part of the Qatar Investment Authority, is looking to buy the Premier League club from the Glazer family.

His offer is believed to be worth around £1.8billion – £200million more than his first bid – and is significantly higher than the other bidders.

The other bidders are the American-based trio of John Henry, the owner of Liverpool, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, the owners of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, and the Chinese investors, PCP Capital Partners.

All four bidders are said to be in agreement to increase their offer and make it more attractive to the Glazers.

According to reports, Sheikh Jassim is willing to pay a higher price to acquire the club – but only if the Glazers are willing to accept his offer.

The Glazers have been at the helm of United since 2005, when they took over the club for £790million.

The family have been under increasing pressure from fans in recent years, who have been calling for a change of ownership.

If the takeover is successful, Sheikh Jassim could become the first Middle Eastern owner of a Premier League club.

It remains to be seen if the Glazers will accept the offer, but the increased bid from Sheikh Jassim looks to have put pressure on them to make a decision.