Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester United re-financing: Is Qatar closing in?
Qatar's £125million five-year sponsorship deal with Barcelona suggests the sheiks may have changed tactics over their footballing investments, writes Nick Harris in his Mail On Sunday column.[LNB]Which adds credence to the rumours that the tiny emirate's rulers, who have landed the right to stage the 2022 World Cup, may have assisted the Glazer family in clearing their £220m of 'ticking timebomb' PIK debt with Manchester United.[LNB] Silence: Avi (left), Joel and the other Glazers have been tight-lipped on their recent loan pay-off[LNB]A family spokesman recently refused to confirm or deny that the Qataris have cleared or refinanced the debt to gain an 'option' on buying United, and no shares have been transferred to Qatar.[LNB]But that same spokesman has since left the Glazers' employment and, with no sign of a replacement, the suggestion is that the Glazers are preparing to sell up.[LNB] World in their hands: Qatar royalty Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and his wife Sheika Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned with the trophy after being awarded the right to host the 2022 finals[LNB]A group of Liverpool businessmen courted the Qataris last year in a bid to persuade them to buy their club. They were told Qatar's investment strategy was to take international events, such as 2022, to Qatar, not to buy overseas teams.[LNB]The rationale was that investing in one club to gain attention and boost tourism might backfire if it alienated fans of other clubs. The Barca deal shows that has changed.[LNB] Nick Harris: David Beckham eyes Olympic glory with 'home' run United supporters demand answers as Glazers prepare to pay off £220m debtBarca seal record £125m shirt deal as Qatar muscle deeper into football worldMANCHESTER UNITED FC
