The world’s richest footballer could afford to triple Sheikh Jassim’s offer for Manchester United.
There are few people who can compete with Sheikh Jassim’s final offer for Manchester United, but among them is the world’s richest footballer, who has billions in his bank.
Faiq Bolkiah, the world’s richest footballer, may triple Sheikh Jassim’s take it or leave it offer for Manchester United.
The Qatari billionaire is said to have made a last-ditch bid to beat Sir Jim Ratcliffe to the Red Devils. Ratcliffe had emerged as the preferred candidate for the Raine Group, the merchant bank in charge of the club’s sale.
So the second bidder has increased his offer to much than £5.5 billion, according to talkSPORT. For a full sale, the Glazers would collect £4.8 billion.
The remaining funds have been earmarked for investment in the club and the local community, while their debts, estimated to be in the range of £536 million, would be discharged.
It’s a staggering figure that would smash the world record for the sale of a sporting club, but it’s an investment Bolkiah can afford.
As the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, he is estimated to be worth almost £20 billion. Despite being born into royalty in his own nation, the now 25-year-old chose to pursue a football career.
He spent nearly a decade in England’s academy system, with stints at Southampton, Chelsea, and Leicester, as well as trials with Arsenal, Stoke, and Reading.
Bolkiah, who has captained his national side in six appearances, failed to make it as a professional on these shores and will join Maritimo in Portugal in 2020.
That move, however, did not work out for him, and he signed with Thai side Chonburi in December 2021 to return closer to home.
However, after being released, he is now hunting for another team. Perhaps he might transfer into a boardroom job and make his own pitch to Ratcliffe and the Sheikh….
