Manchester United takeover: Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol answers your questions

A possible takeover of Manchester United continues to dominate the sports activities information agenda.

Bids for possession of the membership from Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s INEOS group have been confirmed on Friday, whereas it was revealed on Saturday that US hedge fund Elliott Administration additionally lodged a proposal for attainable financing.

However is that this a full takeover? Will United’s present homeowners the Glazer household promote the membership utterly, what may this imply for spending in the summertime switch window, and when will we all know the result?

You’ve got been sending in your questions and Sky Sports activities Information chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol has been answering them. We have picked out the very best ones beneath…

‘Qatar the favourites | Takeover ideally accomplished by summer season’

Q: Who do you suppose is almost certainly to achieve success with their bid?

KS: “I feel in the intervening time the Qataris are out in entrance. My understanding is they’re assured and so they have the very best bid on the desk, not simply when it comes to value, but in addition their imaginative and prescient for the membership and the crew – and the way they’d put money into the boys’s and girls’s groups, the stadium and native regeneration.

“You would need to say the Qataris are the favourites. They’ve the cash to do the deal and so they’re assured there might be no points with UEFA and the Premier League.”

Q: When will a deal for the membership be determined?

KS: “I feel ideally it could go well with all events to verify it is accomplished earlier than the top of the season. From United’s viewpoint, it would not make sense to enter one other switch window with out the possession being settled, as a result of the Glazers aren’t going to need to spend cash within the window with out figuring out in the event that they’re staying or leaving, but it surely all relies upon in the event that they actually need to promote.”

Q: When will we all know who the popular bidder is?

KS: “If there are solely two bidders to purchase the membership outright, then it should not take too lengthy for Raine and the Glazers to provide them full entry to the membership’s accounts.

“As of Monday morning, the bidders have not heard again from Raine and you’ve got to remember that New York is 5 hours behind the UK.”

Q: Can INEOS compete with Qatari funds?

KS: “The easy reply to that query isn’t any. The Qataris have virtually limitless funds, however the distinction is that they solely have limitless funds should you take into account this to be a state-backed takeover bid.

“We’re being advised that Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani is appearing in a private capability and he is not going to overpay for United.”

‘It relies upon what the Glazers need | They will not drop value’

Q: Can US hedge fund Elliott Administration give the Glazers what they need?

KS: “Elliot Administration’s proposal is completely different than the opposite two bidders as a result of they don’t seem to be attempting to purchase the membership. As a substitute, they’re keen to supply financing for one more bid or present funds which might enable the Glazers to redevelop Previous Trafford.

“So all of it relies on what the Glazers need to do. Do they suppose now’s the very best time to promote the membership, or will promoting a minority stake make extra sense and make United much more worthwhile sooner or later.”

Q: Are there no bids from Saudi Arabia?

KS: “So far as we all know, as of this morning (Monday) there has not been a bid from Saudi Arabia. Having mentioned that, bidders do not need to announce that they’ve made a suggestion and Raine are conserving their playing cards very near their chest.

“There was preliminary curiosity from Saudi Arabia, however we have not acquired any info that they’ve made a bit… but.”

Q: What’s extra doubtless – a full takeover or the Glazers taking partial funding and staying in management?

KS: “All of it relies upon what the Glazer household need to do. They could properly have completely different opinions about what the very best final result of this course of is, however there’s a lot stress now from the followers for them to depart that you’d suppose it could be troublesome for them to show down £5bn for a membership that should have some huge cash spent on it going ahead.”

Q: How practical is it that the takeover will not occur and the Glazers resolve to remain?

KS: “As a result of United’s share value has doubled for the reason that Glazers successfully put the membership up on the market, you’ll suppose that now could be time to money in and stroll away with an unbelievable revenue.

“Having mentioned that, it is in the end their resolution and whereas we’re being advised the bidders will not overpay, it additionally stays the case that the Glazers will not promote United for lower than what they suppose it is price.”

Q: Is there any likelihood of the Glazers dropping the worth of the membership?

KS: “No likelihood in any respect. United’s market cap on the New York Inventory Alternate has doubled since November when the Glazers successfully put the membership up on the market.

“The overall consensus seems to be that they’re on the lookout for between £6bn-8bn and I do not suppose anybody goes to pay that. All of it relies on whether or not the Glazers are keen to promote for round £5bn.”

Q: Do you suppose Gary Neville could possibly be proper in saying the Glazers may choose an funding quite than a sale?

KS: “Gary Neville could possibly be proper, however the Glazers appointed Raine to run this course of and so they have invited bids for the membership.

“Two compelling affords have been made, however the Glazers must resolve what they need to do. A giant part of United followers have been campaigning towards them from even earlier than they purchased the membership.

“The Glazers need to resolve if now’s the very best time to promote, as a result of, make no mistake, United wants some huge cash spending on it.

“They have to resolve whether or not they need to be entrance and centre of a rebuilding job that can take years.”

‘Sheikh Jassim would clear money owed | No signal of Elon Musk curiosity’

Q: Will United’s money owed be written off by the acquisition of the membership or will they nonetheless be there when new homeowners take over?

KS: “The Qataris are dedicated to wiping out all United’s money owed. The Glazers purchased United in a £790m leveraged buy-out in 2005 and the debt they loaded onto the membership nonetheless stands at £515m.

“Remember as properly that the takeover has price United greater than £1bn in curiosity and dividends. So far as the Qataris are involved, there could be no loans, no money owed, no dividends and any earnings could be reinvested within the membership and local people.

“So far as Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group are involved, no money owed could be loaded on to the membership if they’re profitable in shopping for it.”

Q: Would Sir Jim Ratcliffe actually have the funds to do all of this together with shopping for the membership outright?

KS: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe is assured he has the funds in place to rework United on and off the pitch. Clearly, you’ll anticipate him to spend much less on the membership going ahead than the Qataris, however throwing cash at an issue is not essentially at all times the very best resolution.

“That is not suggesting the Qataris would simply throw cash at United. I feel their imaginative and prescient for the membership is greater than only a fast repair.”

Q: Is Elon Musk actually within the working or is that this simply one other hearsay?

KS: “Elon Musk has at all times been a wildcard in all this. There was a report within the Every day Mail final week saying he was contemplating making a suggestion, however he is been uncharacteristically quiet on any curiosity and we have not heard something about him making a bid.

“He claims to be a United fan and will simply entry the funds to purchase the membership. However he mentioned final week that he is already received sufficient on his plate in the intervening time with Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX.”

‘Important funds accessible for transfers | Younger gamers the main focus’

Q: Would a sale be doubtless earlier than the summer season switch window?

KS: “That will be the perfect state of affairs for everybody involved. After solely making mortgage signings in January, United are anticipated to be busy in the summertime. Ideally, Erik ten Hag must know who’s going to be signing the cheques.”

Q: Can United followers anticipate big-money signings?

KS: “I do not suppose both the Qataris or Sir Jim Ratcliffe would go loopy within the switch market. There would greater than doubtless be a shake-up in recruitment and important funds could be made accessible to Erik ten Hag, however I would not anticipate to see the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar swapping Paris Saint-Germain for Manchester United any time quickly.

“My info is that the main focus could be on youth going ahead. That is to not say United will not be signing gamers over a sure age, however the general technique could be to concentrate on shopping for the very best younger gamers.

“United will signal a striker in the summertime, irrespective of who owns the membership. That is at all times been a precedence.”