Ex-Man Utd star names preferred takeover bidder; Ten Hag told to ‘move straight’ for £150m target
Former Man Utd forward Louis Saha has revealed who he would prefer to become the club’s new majority shareholder if a takeover is successful.
The Red Devils have been up for sale since last November. Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and INEOS’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe are understood to be leading the race to oust the Glazer family.
There have been three official rounds of bidding but it currently remains to be seen who – if anyone – will complete a takeover of the Premier League giants.
Conflicting reports have emerged relating to the takeover process but on Thursday morning it was indicated that Sheikh Jassim is the hot favourite over Ratcliffe.
Saha reckons the all-or-nothing offer from Sheikh Jassim “seems more exciting” than Ratcliffe’s proposal, which could see the Glazer family remain on board with a reduced stake of 20%.
“You can see the differences between Sheikh Jassim and Jim Ratcliffe with what those two are offering. I think the Qatari offer seems to be more exciting, with more control and it doesn’t include the Glazers which is a big plus for the fans,” Saha told Compare Bet.
“It’s all about a rebuild for the Qataris – the ground, the infrastructure, the trust from the fans. There are so many elements that we are not aware of and we won’t know all the information, but for the club’s sake, this has to be done quickly.
“It’s taken too long and it will start to affect the team and the manager. Erik ten Hag needs to know what he can spend and who he can sign, so it needs to be completed now.”
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Man Utd’s summer transfer business could be dependent on a resolution to the takeover process and one of Erik ten Hag’s priorities is to sign at least one new striker.
Saha thinks United should sign Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund “and Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen”.
“Hojlund is very consistent, has a lot of experience for his age, is good technically and is very strong. He’s got it all,” Saha added.
“But obviously in order to go straight into that number nine position you will require someone who can hit the ground running and start performing immediately, and I’m not sure Hojlund is ready for that.
“So I think United would need to sign both Hojlund and someone like Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen. This would make Manchester United a real threat again, because on his own Hojlund isn’t going to change anything.”
Speaking via his Vibe with Five podcast, Rio Ferdinand added: “If [Kane] said no, I’d move straight on to Osimhen. Even if he’s £150m, do it. Look at the market. Who else is there? There’s no one ready-made.”
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