According to sources familiar with the matter, senior UK government officials involved in football governance have expressed concerns about Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the bidder for Manchester United Plc.
These officials have raised reservations in private over the past few weeks, focusing on previous regulatory breaches at the UK unit of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), where Sheikh Jassim has served as chairman since 2006. The UK officials' concerns center on a £1.4 million fine imposed on QIB's UK unit by the Bank of England in 2016 for failing to comply with capital requirements, which left the firm exposed to high levels of risk.
Although there is no indication that the UK government is planning to intervene to block Sheikh Jassim's bid, their concerns suggest that ministers may urge the Premier League to raise questions during the due diligence process on potential buyers for Manchester United.