"I know him so well" - Barcelona manager Xavi comments on potential new Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim
Barcelona manager Xavi has shared his thoughts on Manchester United's potential takeover by Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani.
As per Reuters, the Red Devils and Sheikh Jassim are negotiating exclusivity in the latter's attempts to buy the club. Exclusivity would mean that the club hierarchy will not be able to negotiate with any other bidder for a given period. If completed, this could be a big step in a potential Manchester United takeover from the Glazer family for over $6 billion.
Amidst all the reports, Barcelona manager Xavi has spoken up about Sheikh Jassim, the son of Qatar's former prime minister. The Spaniard showered praise on him, saying that he would be good for Manchester United.
“I have a good relationship with the person interested in buying the club (#mufc); he’s a serious person, and I’m sure he’d do a good job. I know him so well. He’s a very good person with responsibility. He would be a very good option for United,” Xavi said (via Centre Devils)
Xavi knows Sheikh Jassim from the former's time in Qatar for around six years. He played for Al Sadd from 2015 to 2019 before managing the club for a further two years. He left them in 2021 to manage Barcelona.
David de Gea could leave Manchester United this summer
As per ESPN, Manchester United aren't confident of getting David de Gea to sign a new contract any more, so he could leave this summer.
De Gea's contract expires in two weeks. The Red Devils didn't trigger the option to extend it by a year but decided to work on a long-term deal instead. However, the Spaniard seems unlikely to sign the new contract, which would also come with significantly lower wages but performance-related bonuses.
De Gea, 32, has spent 12 years at Manchester United since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011. He has kept the most clean sheets (190) in club history in 545 appearances.
However, the Spaniard has also been error-prone in recent seasons. He was partly responsible for their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal exit against Sevilla last season. He also received criticism for his performance against Manchester City in the FA Cup final, which United lost 2-1.
The Red Devils have been linked with the likes of Inter Milan's Andre Onana and FC Porto's Diogo Costa to replace De Gea.