What if we witness the end of abundance on the side of Paris Saint-Germain? Qatar has its sights set on the Premier League, and not just anywhere: at Manchester United, a historic club the Glazer family would like to part ways with. In this perspective, should we be worried about seeing Doha redefine its priorities and abandon PSG in the process? The leaders of the capital club wanted to reassure the Parisian supporters very quickly: the project is not going to stop anytime soon. But this interest in Manchester United still raises questions.

If we also count Jim Ratcliffe with Ineos, owner of OGC Nice, or the unpredictable billionaire Elon Musk among the candidates interested in buying the current third in the Premier League, Doha is ready to take out the checkbook to afford the Red Devils. The amount advanced is colossal (4.5 billion euros), and illustrates well the attractiveness of the English championship, even more so with the Mancunian club, whose popularity around the world is well established.

BREAKING: Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the chairman of one of Qatar banks QIB, has made a ‘substantial’ bid for Manchester United ?????pic.twitter.com/13Eh6qPt4Q

Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, Crown Prince, explained in a statement on Friday the reasons which motivated him to make this offer to buy the team which plays at Old Trafford, with the ambition that “Manchester United be recognized in the world for its footballing excellence and be considered the best club in the world”. Hassan al-Thawadi, head of the organizing committee of the last World Cup, would be propelled to the head of the club.

For Vincent Chaudel, economist at the Sport Business Observatory and specialist in Qatar, this interest of the Emir for English training is quite logical. “You have to see this in a geopolitical dimension, with the tensions between Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Abu Dhabi has owned Manchester City for a decade while Riyadh snapped up Newcastle last year. These billionaires have exported their rivalries to European football, ”he explains to Le Point.

And this possible takeover is also part of an uncertain context for European football. “There is nothing mandatory, but today we have uncertainty in this sport after 2024. The subject of the Super League came back on the table. To set foot in the Premier League is to cover up and be sure to continue to be a dominant player. We see that things are also moving on the side of Tottenham, which could also be sold. The advantage of PSG is the certainty of being in the Champions League every year, but the English championship is watched worldwide, its notoriety much more consistent, “continues Vincent Chaudel.

In order not to put itself in the red vis-à-vis UEFA, which prevents a State from having several clubs in its competitions, it is the sovereign fund Qatar Investment Authority which would be involved in the takeover of Manchester United . At PSG, Qatar Sports Investment is the owner. Two different entities, but no one is fooled: Qatar would have in their hands two clubs with immense influence. Could these two behemoths live together? “I don’t see any particular concern for PSG and its future, tempers Vincent Chaudel. The new training center in Poissy will soon be inaugurated, which testifies to Qatar’s desire to establish itself well. We must monitor the conflict with the mayor of Paris around the stadium, but I do not see a disengagement coming. »

After having invested in the Braga club, by acquiring 21.67% of the shares of the Portuguese team, and by still owning Eupen in Belgium, Doha could thus adopt the strategy developed by its great rival, Abu Dhabi, to be at the head of a large number of clubs. “The City Group is present on several continents, inevitably it inspires. Qatar has already succeeded in its bet on soft power with sponsorship, media like beIN Sports and the icing on the cake, the organization of the 2022 World Cup. The next step is this development of timeshare. And with unlimited means, Qatar can see it coming. Not enough to upset PSG? By dint of disappointing in the Champions League and multiplying the revolutions that do not succeed, the capital club could well definitely tire the Qatari staff.