Xavi Hernandez believes Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani would be an excellent Manchester United owner.
With the Glazer family planning to sell United for about £5 billion, a Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim and Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe appears to be leading the charge to purchase the club. The Qatar proposal has sparked significant debate, given that the state already owns Paris Saint-Germain and the country has a history of human rights and LGBT+ issues. Xavi, on the other hand, played for Al Sadd in the Middle East for four seasons before coaching the club for two years before returning to Barcelona as manager in November 2021, and he has now approved the Qatari offer for United.
“I have a good connection with the person interested in buying the club; he’s a serious person, and I’m confident he’d do a fantastic job,” Xavi remarked when asked about the possible acquisition.
“I’m really familiar with him. I believe he is a really excellent guy with duty and seriousness. I believe that would be an excellent choice for United.”
Xavi was commenting before of Barcelona’s Europa League playoff play-off second leg at Old Trafford. The first leg last week ended in an exciting 2-2 tie, with Marcus Rashford scoring and assisting. Erik ten Hag’s team is now on a run, having lost just one game since the World Cup break.
Xavi Hernandez’s statement
“United are now one of the top teams in Europe, demonstrating their talent and competitiveness via outstanding victories,” Xavi remarked. “They’re the greatest United I’ve seen in the previous several years, they have a wonderful coach and excellent players who show a lot of personality and enthusiasm, so we need to match this.
“United is battling with Arsenal and Manchester City for first place in the Premier League. It’s the ideal venue for us to demonstrate that we can compete with these teams.”
The Glazers may consider all proposals before making a final decision on the club’s sale. But is likely to be in speculation that they might still remain in the Old Trafford boardroom. Elliott Management, an American hedge fund, has indicated interest in pumping capital into United without seizing control, allowing Joel and Avram Glazer to continue at the helm.
