Five things Sheikh Jassim must do immediately at Man Utd as £6bn takeover ‘near’

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani is reportedly set to complete his Manchester United takeover by mid-October.

After months of bidding, the Qatari royal appears to have beaten British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe to ownership of the Red Devils. According to The Sun, Sheikh Jassim will look to put the finishing touches on his £6billion buy-out in autumn, with the deal potentially being announced next month.

It could mark the end of the controversial Glazer reign, which sparked outrage from the outset with Malcom Glazer’s initial investment in 2003 and takeover two years later. And despite wider concerns surrounding sports-washing with the Qatari takeover, banker Sheikh Jassim could launch a positive new era for the club on the pitch.

Daily Star Sport takes a look at the five things Manchester United's incoming owner must address immediately to restore the club's former glory.

READ MORE: Man Utd takeover announcement coming with 'date set' for Sheikh Jassim's £6bn deal

Save Old Trafford

There is no Manchester United without The Theatre of Dreams, which in recent years has decayed to become a derelict stage of despair. The Glazers have long come under fire for neglecting the club’s Old Trafford ground, first built back in 1910.

Gary Neville has been among the most vocal in his criticism, saying: “In 20 years, Manchester United have not invested in the stadium. They've still not dealt with the stadium which is rusting and needs massive money spent on it.

“Manchester United need a billion pounds in this next two-three years to either rebuild or renovate that stadium. It's a club that's really struggling and I've said in the last couple of years that the only thing I think can change it now is the ownership – there is an embedded rot at the club."

Revamp facilities

"Nothing has changed," fumed Cristiano Ronaldo in his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan last year. The Portuguese star, one of the club’s greatest players ever, was criticising the lack of development at Carrington since his departure in 2009, having returned for a second spell in 2021.

United’s gym, pool, technology and catering have fallen well behind Manchester City’s world-leading facilities, despite taking steps to add new ice baths, steam rooms, jacuzzis, a new briefing room and improved audio and visual equipment last summer.

There are reportedly plans to further develop Carrington in a project headed by Mags Mernagh, who was heavily involved in Leicester City’s state of the art training ground project. It includes offices, a gym, a catering area and an on-site accommodation block, though future investment rests on the future owner.

Transfer strategy

For all the criticism the Glazers receive for their lack of investment, they have splashed out mind-boggling amounts over the past decade since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. To be exact, their net transfer activity has amounted to £1.25bn over the last ten years.

Yet it doesn’t seem that way due to a poor allocation of funds. United in recent seasons alone have splurged £82m on Antony, £73m on Jadon Sancho and £80m on Harry Maguire – all of whom are widely considered flops.

Whether that is down to the managers’ poor talent IDs or an incompetent club hierarchy, the Sheikh will need to make recruitment as efficient as possible in a similar model to that implemented by rivals Manchester City.

Challenge for titles

A decade without a Premier League trophy for a club of Manchester United’s stature and spending is simply unacceptable. While he is not expected to deliver success overnight, Sheikh Jassim must cultivate a cohesive vision for the club to drive it forward.

That includes picking the right manager and sporting director, and granting them the patience required to get the Red Devils back to the top – as seen by Arsenal’s KSE ownership now reaping rewards of the trust placed in Mikel Arteta earlier in his tenure.

Better decision-making

United’s handling of the Mason Greenwood saga did not earn them any favours with fans, who continue to stage protests amid a depressing backdrop. Many supporters of the club were left disgusted by the alleged decision by United chiefs to reintegrate the forward, who had charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control against him dropped earlier this year.

According to The Athletic, club executives even devoted time to justifying their chosen path to angry employees, before creating a list of individual football pundits, journalists and politicians who would either be in favour or against Greenwood’s integration. Even after their U-turn and eventual decision to axe the 21-year-old, United’s stance left a bitter taste in the mouths of fan groups and domestic abuse charities.

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