Manchester United takeover bidder Sheikh Jassim must learn PSG lesson

Manchester United bidder Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani set out a grand vision for the club when he announced his offer to buyout the Glazers.

In February, through the Nine Two Foundation, he released this statement: "The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United once more. The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports.

"The vision of the bid is for Manchester United to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world. More details of the bid will be released, when appropriate, if and when the bid process develops."

The Qatari banker promised he would invest $1bn on top of his $5bn offer. This would wipe out the current debt, which stands at £535.7m. While this all sounds ideal, it is not dissimilar to Nasser Al-Khelaifi's mission statement when he took control at French club PSG.

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During a Guardian interview in 2012, Al-Khelaifi said: "It's a simple message. We are building a team to be one of the best in Europe.

"To become big, you need to sign players now and that is what we are doing. Obviously, we believe in our targets and objectives, and we are really confident that the dreams are going to come true."

However, in the 10 years since, PSG's targets on the European stage remain unfulfilled. While near dominance in France has been achieved, the Champions League still alludes them.

Al-Khelaifi's