SHEIKH Hamad Bin Jaber Al Thani has expressed his doubts over the potential Manchester United takeover.
His son Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has tabled a bid believed to be under the Glazers £6billion asking price.
But Sheikh Hamad revealed that he is 'not a football fan' and that he 'doesn't like this investment'.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils are reportedly set to rival a number of Premier League clubs for the signature of ex-Chelsea star Tammy Abraham, but he could cost nearly £70m.
And United have received a huge boost in their pursuit of Jude Bellingham with Real Madrid putting their transfer plans on ice according to reports.
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- Henry Tomlinson
Van Dijk on facing United
Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk believes that his side need their fans behind them when they take on Man United on Sunday.
He said: "I think we need a big atmosphere on Sunday.
"I think today obviously it was quite nervous and hopefully on Sunday we can get everyone in their best – including us, because we obviously have to do the hard work on the pitch against an in-form Man United.
"So, we will recover now and we will be ready for Sunday of course."
- Henry Tomlinson
Rashford the best
Marcus Rashford is “arguably” the best player in the world right now ahead of the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, says a Scottish striking legend Kris Boyd.
The 25-year-old Manchester United star has been the scourge of defenders across Europe with his exploits for United both domestically and in the Europa League.
Boyd said: “You could see there were talented footballers at the club that is wasn't going to happen for them and I think Marcus Rashford was potentially going to fall into that trap.
“But I tell you what, he's arguably the best player in the world at this moment in time. He's been unstoppable.”
Credit: Getty - Henry Tomlinson
United still 'monitoring' Abraham
Man United are reportedly still keeping tabs on former Chelsea star Tammy Abraham.
The English striker has been impressing since joining Serie A side Roma.
However, the Italian club have now slapped a £67million price tag on his head, according to inews.
Credit: Getty
- Kealan Hughes
Good morning Man Utd fans
Manchester United officially have the Premier League's biggest wage bill, which is up a staggering 45 per cent from back in 2017.
United spend £384million a year on salaries for their players and staff, that's £18m more than nearest rivals Liverpool and £178m more than Arsenal.
And the Red Devils’ takeover is set to be delayed until May with the Glazers intent on securing their £6billion valuation.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe both offered a maximum bid of £4.5bn.
According to The Guardian, any takeover is set to be delayed until May as the six Glazer siblings can’t agree on the next stage.
Avram Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Bryan Glazer, Joel Glazer, Edward Glazer, and Darcie S. Glazer Kassewitz have their own plans for United.
They are split over whether to sell up and leave or retain a minority stake.
Meanwhile, the father of Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim, who has made an offer to buy United, does not support the bid.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani said: “I am not a football fan.
“I don’t like this investment. Maybe it will work well. But you know, some of my sons like this, they always discuss it with me. They’re pushing hard. This isn’t my speciality.
“Let me put it like this: I am an investor. If it will one day be a good investment, I will think about it. I will not look at it as something you do just as an advertisement.”
Finally, Real Madrid have put a move for Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham on hold which will boost United's transfer hopes.
Bellingham has also attracted interest from the Red Devils’ Premier League rivals Liverpool as well as Chelsea.
But Real have now cooled their interest in the star midfielder, according to AS.
The report claims that the stop in interest is because of the delay to Dortmund's meeting to establish what the England international's future will be.
It has been suggested that Los Blancos would be willing to wait until the summer of 2024 to sign him when he could cost less money, as he would only have a year left on his deal.
- Kostas Lianos
Declan Rice warning
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has warned his former club that West Ham star Declan Rice doesn’t match the best midfielders in the Premier League yet.
Keane said: “He has first got to focus on West Ham and doing well for the rest of the season.
“But I don’t think he has been great this season, I don’t think he has kicked on for all the talk there has been about him – he needs to do a lot more.
“He doesn’t score enough goals or get enough assists. I have been a fan of him, he is always fit, but I just want a little bit more from him.
“There is talk of him leaving for big money and competing with teams for trophies, and he needs to do a lot more, it is as simple as that.
“Sometimes I see him play at West Ham, and he goes through the motions and he needs to do a lot more to match the top midfielders in the country”
- Kostas Lianos
Taste for it
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed that a dressing-room conversation he overheard was the most pleasing thing from Wembley.
Ten Hag said: “l am delighted that we have our first trophy together, but all our efforts now must be on making sure that it is not the last.
“Now that we all have a taste of success together, the aim is to make sure it is on the menu again soon.
“What perhaps pleased me the most on Sunday was to see and hear all the players saying the same thing in the dressing room.
"They are not happy to ease up now that they have won a trophy and they are more determined than ever to keep winning more and more”
- Kostas Lianos
How about dad?
The father of Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, who has made an offer to buy Manchester United, does not support the bid.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani said: “I am not a football fan.
“I don’t like this investment. Maybe it will work well. But you know, some of my sons like this, they always discuss it with me. They’re pushing hard. This isn’t my speciality.
“Let me put it like this: I am an investor. If it will one day be a good investment, I will think about it. I will not look at it as something you do just as an advertisement”
- Kostas Lianos
More on Ince
Brian McClair continued: "I always paid attention, it wasn't that difficult. It was always, 'Where the f***ing hell was that?'
"'Incey that's your f*****g man.' 'No it's not my f*****g man, it's your f*****g man.'
"And then there would be an argument about it and next time it would be, 'Just you just f*****g mark!' Whether it was me, Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce or someone else in the team.
"We were all encouraged that the information was there and you couldn't continue to let it happen.
"Paul ended up marking no one – he couldn't remember or pay enough attention because he was too busy trying to be the last man on the pitch"
Credit: Rex - Kostas Lianos
Paul Ince routine
Manchester United legend Paul Ince had an "obsessive" pre-match routine that landed him in trouble with Sir Alex Ferguson and prompted X-rated bust-ups on the pitch.
Ince's fellow United star Brian McClair revealed on his new Life With Brian podcast: "Sometimes the information had already been imparted and it was down to the ones who could remember to remind the ones whose concentration and memory wasn't so good.
"For example when Paul Ince was playing in the team, Paul would spend more time trying to be the last player to leave the dressing room and the last player to walk on to the pitch.
"He wouldn't put his strip on until he got into the tunnel. This was his whole focus. The last thing the manager would say before we left the dressing room was one last look at the graphics regarding defending set pieces.
"And you could almost guarantee every single game, we'd lose a corner early on and there would be a f***ing mess-up in the box and guaranteed that mess-up was because Incey wasn't where he was supposed to be"
- Kostas Lianos
Gary Neville criticism
Manchester United hero Gary Neville criticised Arsenal fans for their “desperate” celebrations.
Neville told The Overlap: “We have this little [WhatsApp] group on Sky and obviously they know that I’ve nailed my colours to the mast that [Manchester] City are going to win the league and I’ve been getting a lot of stick from Arsenal fans.
“But after the [Aston] Villa game I got on the group [and there were messages saying] ‘unbelievable win for Arsenal’ and I replied: ‘It’s all too desperate, too much emotion too early.’
“I think I’ll be right at the end of the season but I might not be – and it sounds daft but emotion in football when you’re playing and you’re that desperate and you celebrate that much, and you’ve still got half the race to go almost, it’s not a good thing.
“You ordinarily don’t celebrate that hard. So after the Villa game, I could understand how big a moment it was, and actually to be fair I didn’t say this publicly, but I thought, ‘That’s quite desperate quite early’.
“The emotion is something that is a negative, it’s not a positive in a title race, for me, honestly. You’re right to be worried [about emotional fatigue]”
- Kostas Lianos
Abraham transfer war
Roma star Tammy Abraham is being lined up for a £40million return to the Premier League.
And it is Aston Villa who are ready to rival Manchester United for Abraham's signature.
According to Forza Roma, the striker could be returning home to Villa where he played on loan while still with Chelsea.
The Villans are on the hunt for a powerful centre-forward after selling Danny Ings to West Ham in January.
And manager Unai Emery is a big fan of the England international
Credit: Rex - Kostas Lianos
Bellingham transfer boost
Real Madrid have put a move for Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham on hold which will boost Manchester United's transfer hopes.
Bellingham has also attracted interest from United's Premier League rivals Liverpool as well as Chelsea.
But Real have now cooled their interest in the midfielder, according to AS.
The report claims that the stop in interest is because of the delay to Dortmund's meeting to establish what the England international's future would be.
It has been suggested that Los Blancos would be willing to wait until the summer of 2024 to sign him when he could cost less money, as he would only have a year left on his contract
- Kostas Lianos
Ron the way
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi is wanted by Al-Ittihad shortly after Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi rivals Al-Nassr.
According to Marca, the Saudi Pro League giants want to offer Messi a contract worth £78million per year on a two-year deal.
The report adds talks may have already begun between representatives from both sides.
However, this deal is of a far lower value than what Al-Nassr currently pay Ronaldo in the Middle East.
The 38-year-old joined the club in December after his contract at Old Trafford was ripped up following his bombshell interview
- Kostas Lianos
Man Utd takeover delay
Manchester United's takeover is set to be delayed until May with the Glazers intent on securing their £6billion valuation.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe both offered a maximum offer of £4.5bn.
According to The Guardian, any takeover is set to be delayed until May as the six Glazer siblings cannot agree on the next stage.
Avram Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Bryan Glazer, Joel Glazer, Edward Glazer, and Darcie S. Glazer Kassewitz have their own plans for the Red Devils.
They are split over whether to sell up and leave or retain a minority stake in the club
- Kostas Lianos
Hou are ya
Manchester United have had a move for Lyon star Houssem Aouar rejected.
Arsenal and Liverpool have held an interest while Aston Villa and Real Betis were linked last summer, though it is United who remain interested in Aouar.
According to Sport1 reporter Patrick Berger, the Red Devils tried to approach the midfielder with an offer to sign him on a free transfer in the summer.
The 24-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season but has agreed to join Eintracht Frankfurt instead of United
Credit: Getty
- Kostas Lianos
LAV IS IN THE AIR
Manchester United have joined Arsenal and Chelsea in the bidding war for Southampton ace and Manchester City academy graduate Romeo Lavia.
According to the Daily Mail, United are the latest club to keep tabs on Lavia, who is already in the Gunners’ sights while the Blues previously enquired about his services.
However, in the Red Devils’ case, the Belgian midfielder is not a priority as manager Erik ten Hag prefers Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong and Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham.
There is also a long-standing interest for West Ham’s Declan Rice, though the North Londoners are leading the race to sign him
- Kostas Lianos
Ramsey's new role
Manchester United first-team coach Eric Ramsay will combine his Old Trafford role with Wales after being appointed as Robert Page's assistant manager, reports SunSport's Phil Cadden.
Ramsay, 31, will replace Kit Symons, who was axed after a disappointing showing at last year's World Cup, and work alongside fellow No2 Alan Knill underneath boss Page.
The Dragons chief has also drafted in West Ham's Nick Davies as his new head of performance after Tony Strudwick also left the Welsh fold following the group stage exit in Qatar.
Page has brought the pair in ahead of the opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against Croatia in Split on March 25 and Latvia in Cardiff three days later
- Kostas Lianos
Casemiro vs Rashford
Manchester United icon Louis Saha believes Marcus Rashford is a key player but Casemiro is the team's most important star.
Saha told Betfred: “It’s a difficult one because for me it seems like Casemiro gives more confidence to the team. Lisandro Martínez benefits from Casemiro’s experience and it’s the same for Marcus Rashford.
“I’m very impressed by the signing of Casemiro. People try to compare him to Roy Keane, but at the same time, I see Casemiro playing in a different league because the guy scores goals and provides so much confidence to his team.
“He seems to be a family man and he also seems to be the perfect teammate. Credit to Marcus Rashford for scoring those important goals this season and Lisandro Martínez for bringing that power, confidence and arrogance at the back, but the one player who pulls the strings is Casemiro”
- Kostas Lianos
Man Utd biggest spenders
Manchester United officially have the Premier League's biggest wage bill.
And it is up a staggering 45 per cent from back in 2017.
United spend an incredible £384million a year on salaries for their players and staff.
That's £18m more than nearest rivals Liverpool and £178m more than Arsenal
- Anthony Chapman
Saints ace eyed by Erik
Man Utd have joined Chelsea in the race for Romeo Lavia.
The former Man City kid has impressed at Southampton this season.
And the Mail claims United are keen on signing him this summer.
But City could yet re-sign Lavia as they have a £40million buyback clause.
- Anthony Chapman
Samba stars in sublime sync
Man Utd midfielder Fred admits he's relishing his new partnership with fellow Brazil star Casemiro.
Fred said: “He’s a big leader. He talks a lot with us, with every player, every day. He tries to work on his English as well.
“He is a good guy, everyone knows this, he has a good way in the dressing room.
“He has a good mentality in the national team as well, he’s an important part of our squad. I love to play alongside Casemiro.”
- Anthony Chapman
Welsh wish for United coach
Man Utd first-team coach Eric Ramsay will combine his Old Trafford role with Wales.
That's after being appointed as Robert Page's assistant manager.
Ramsay, 31, will replace Kit Symons, who was axed after a disappointing showing at last year's World Cup.
And he will work alongside fellow No2 Alan Knill underneath boss Page.
- Anthony Chapman
Salary worries for Man Utd
Man Utd have the biggest wage bill in the whole Premier League.
And it is up a whopping 45 per cent from 2017.
United spend an incredible £384million a year on salaries.
That's £18m more than nearest rivals Liverpool and £178m more than table toppers Arsenal.
- Anthony Chapman
Casemiro 'more important than Rashford'
Louis Saha believes Marcus Rashford is a key player for Man Utd… but Casemiro is the team's most important star.
He told Betfred: “It’s a difficult one because for me it seems like Casemiro gives more confidence to the team. Lisandro Martínez benefits from Casemiro’s experience and it’s the same for Marcus Rashford.
“I’m very impressed by the signing of Casemiro. People try to compare him to Roy Keane, but at the same time, I see Casemiro playing in a different league because the guy scores goals and provides so much confidence to his team.
“He seems to be a family man and he also seems to be the perfect teammate. Credit to Marcus Rashford for scoring those important goals this season and Lisandro Martínez for bringing that power, confidence and arrogance at the back, but the one player who pulls the strings is Casemiro.”
- Anthony Chapman
United back home in Cup
Man Utd beat West Ham 3-1 in the FA Cup last night.
And they have been rewarded with a quarter-final home tie against Fulham.
It means the prospect of a mouth-watering final against rivals City is still alive.
Pep Guardiola's men host Championship leaders Burnley, while Brighton take on Grimsby and Blackburn travel to Sheffield Utd.
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