It has been just more than two years since Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani launched his bid for a full takeover of Manchester United.

The Qatari banker's offer to buy the club was met with caution by some in the United fanbase, considering he is a member of the ruling family in Qatar and their questionable human rights record. However, there was a sense of optimism from others that there was a reality where the Glazers finally sold the club.

However, that was not to be as it transpired the American family were looking to sell a minority stake of the club - something that Sheikh Jassim was uninterested in. Instead, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was able to broker a deal and the rest is history.

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After reports suggesting that the Glazers, should they wish to, could sell the entirety of United later this year, MEN Sport has chronicled the Sheikh Jassim bid and what it could have meant for United.

Bid confirmed and vision proposal

After making his bid public in February 2023, the Nine Two Foundation released the following statement setting out their intentions for the Reds. "The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United once more," they explained.

"The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports. The vision of the bid is for Manchester United to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.

"More details of the bid will be released, when appropriate, if and when the bid process develops."

Legends involvement

In May 2023, reports from ESPN surfaced which suggested that Sheikh Jassim wanted to welcome back legends of the football club to join his boardroom. It was thought the Qatari wanted to preserve the culture that Sir Alex Ferguson fostered during his time in charge.

Exact names who would have been approached are unknown but considering his involvement in the business world, Gary Neville could have been one of the names.

Frustration and subsequent failure

As the end of 2023 edged closer, several reports suggested that Sheikh Jassim was beginning to get frustrated by the lack of talks with the Glazers and Raine Group, who were overseeing the bidding process. Eventually, on Christmas Eve 2023, the Glazers announced they had reached an agreement with Ratcliffe for a minority sale.

Anger at Ineos

Having bit his tongue following the jibe from Ratcliffe, the Daily Mail reported on Christmas Day 2024 that the Qatari was infuriated by how United was being run by Ineos. One senior adviser to Sheikh Jassim's group was quoted as saying: "The b***** thing [new stadium] would have been fully in-motion now.

"A stadium for a football club paid for by a football club and nobody else. And as for the staff Ratcliffe is firing - we would have been hiring."

Glazers opportunity and Ratcliffe reality

That takes us to this past week when a report from Bloomberg suggested the Glazers had agreed with Ratcliffe that they could sell all of the stakes in United later in 2025 if they wished to. The caveat was that Ratcliffe and Ineos would have first refusal on these shares before they were made public to other parties - like Sheikh Jassim.

When quizzed in America about selling up, Avram Glazer insisted himself and his family were not interested in ending their involvement with the club. The reality is that Ratcliffe will likely be in charge for the foreseeable while Sheikh Jassim's chances of launching a new takeover bid are slim at best.