Report: Qatari bidders await update from Man Utd after exclusivity claims

A source close to Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani said Thursday that the Qatari bidders were still awaiting clarity from Manchester United after a report suggested they could be offered exclusivity in the battle to buy the club.

United announced in November that the board was exploring “strategic alternatives to enhance the club’s growth”, with a full sale one of the options.

The current owners, the Glazer family, are understood to value United at £6 billion ($7.6 billion) and the Raine Group was brought in to oversee the process.

Sheikh Jassim made a fifth and final bid for the club last week and it is understood that his offer is viewed more favourably by the owners than a rival bid from British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe.

A report on Thursday suggested that, if exclusivity were granted to Sheikh Jassim, it would shut out the Ratcliffe bid for as long as the exclusivity period lasted.

But the source close to the bid told AFP there were no official updates from Sheikh Jassim’

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