In the summer, many reports claimed Manchester United would try to sign Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe if Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim ended up purchasing the club from the Glazers. On Saturday (October 14), Jassim pulled out of the Man Utd takeover race after failing to persuade Glazers to sell.
Moreover, transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano said he was not aware of Jassim’s interest in bringing Mbappe to Old Trafford.
Kylian Mbappe Not A Target For Manchester United, Claims Romano
In the summer, Mbappe told PSG that he did not want to trigger the one-year extension in his contract and would like to leave after the deal expired on June 30, 2024. Les Parisiens asked him either to sign an extension or leave in the summer transfer window itself. The 24-year-old, however, stayed put and found his way back into the XI after overcoming a series of hurdles.
Many clubs wanted to sign the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner in the summer transfer window, and according to some reports, Manchester United were one of them. Jassim would reportedly have gone after the forward had he been successful in his efforts to purchase the club from the Glazers.
Transfer market guru Fabrizio Romano, however, does not believe there is much truth to such reports, as the takeover was nowhere close to being finalized. He wrote in his Daily Briefing column:
“I can also say that, despite links with Kylian Mbappe, it’s normal to have rumors like this when new owners could be coming in, but there was nothing concrete.
“For one thing, the takeover was never that close. Mbappe was also very clear in the summer that he wanted to stay at PSG for at least one more season. Still, I can say that Sheikh Jassim wanted to make a star signing in the summer, though I have no confirmation that Mbappe was on his list.”
INEOS’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe Could Come On As A Major Investor
Following Jassim’s withdrawal, INEOS’ CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe has emerged as the frontrunner in the Manchester United takeover race. However, unlike Jassim, Ratcliffe does not want 100% ownership of the club at the moment. He wants a 25% minority stake, meaning the Glazers will continue to serve as the club’s owners.
According to Sky Sports, Ratcliffe has agreed to pay £1.3 billion ($1.58 billion) for the 25%, which is proportionately higher than Jassim’s £5 billion ($6.09 billion) offer. The two parties could meet as early as this week to ratify the key details of the deal.
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