'Nobody's completely comfortable' - Man Utd's potential Qatari takeover addressed by Manchester mayor Andy Burnham

• Man Utd up for sale
• Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe main bidders
• Glazers yet to make a decision

WHAT HAPPENED? Manchester United have been up for sale since November 2022, with Qatari royal Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe the two main bidders through the Nine Two Foundation and INEOS respectively. With the Glazers holding out for a high asking price, Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has raised concerns about a possible Qatari takeover, but added issues over the nation's human rights record are “for the UK government”.

WHAT THEY SAID: “These are questions that everyone’s having to embrace in this Premier League era,” Burnham told Global’s The News Agents podcast. “I don’t think anyone feels completely comfortable about it and I’m going to be really clear about that. But the Premier League has kind of moved into a place where, is all the money clean in any Premier League club? There’s associations with regimes around the world. That’s how it is now, isn’t it

"Obviously, we don’t have an outcome yet with regards to the ownership of Manchester United. I think there’s a lot of people in this city would tell you there’s a lot wrong with the current ownership regime there, in terms of the money that’s been taken out of Manchester United over the last decade or so.”

When asked if he felt uneasy about the prospect of Qatari ownership, given the country’s human rights record, he replied: “I think there’s a differentiation, isn’t there? You can’t solve those issues from here, can you? Those are issues for the UK government talking to the Qataris. Those human rights issues have to be raised at that level and they were, through the World Cup."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Jassim has insisted he is bidding as a private individual rather than a state entity, but there are growing concerns about state ownership in the Premier League. Manchester City were bought by Sheikh Mansour of the United Arab Emirates in 2009 and while they have redeveloped swathes of east Manchester, near the Etihad, the club is currently facing charges for numerous breaches of financial rules. Newcastle United was taken over by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in 2022 but said the Saudi state, which has also been guilty of human rights violations, would not control the club.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT? United fans are still waiting for the Glazer family to make a decision on the possible sale of the club. There are growing concerns that a takeover will not be completed before the start of the season, with numerous deadlines already being missed.