US$6bn bid could make Man U most valuable team

A Qatari royal and one of the UK’s richest people are in a turf war for Manchester United, one of the world’s most successful soccer clubs.

Its owners, the US Glazer family, are reportedly valuing the club at $5 billion.

The value of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s bid is confidential, but he might offer as much as $6 billion. A competing bid was submitted by Greater Manchester-born billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, CEO of Ineos Chemicals Group.

A deal of this size would be the biggest takeover of a professional sports team ever, beating last year’s record $4.65 billion purchase of the Denver Broncos, an American football team, by the billionaire heir of Walmart.

It might attract regulatory scrutiny too — European soccer league rules would prevent Qatar, which already owns Paris Saint-Germain, from owning another team. — Quartz