Qatar wants to own Man Utd and PSG, plans $7.25bn bid

UEFA, the governing body that rules European football, does not currently allow clubs in the same competition to be owned by the same person or group.

With Man Utd and PSG both currently competing to enter into the Champions League, Europe’s top tier club competition, that would preclude them from both having the same owner.

Qatar wants Man Utd deal

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, is already the owner of PSG, having bought the club outright in stages between 2011 and 2012.

Now, buoyed by the success of hosting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he has set his sights on another of the crown jewels of football – Manchester United.

As the second most successful club in England, after Liverpool, Man Utd is valued at more than $7bn.

When current owners the US Glazer family put the side up for sale, it was announced they would look for partial investments or a complete sale.

The Qatari royal is reported to be not interested in a partial ownership, instead wanting to take full ownership of the club.

To do that, the Guardian reports, the Qatar investors must convince UEFA the clubs are controlled by separate, and indeed competing, entities.

Even is Sheikh Tamim was to ultimately own both sides, there could be no organisational overlap between the two sides. A separate company must be formed to own both.

Any such move would be closely scrutinised by UEFA as well as rival clubs, but is not without precedent.

Qatar is confident it can make the deal work, with Red Bull Salzburg of Austria and Red Bull Leipzig being owned by different companies under the Red Bull GmbH umbrella organisation.

The two sides faced off against each other in a Europa League game in 2018, despite having the same ultimate owner.

Paris Saint-Germain Football Club is owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), which is an investment company owned by the state of Qatar.