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The Qatari have long owned Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and they look set to own Manchester United as well, albeit through a different Qatari consortium. According to reports circulated by Sky Sports, Old Trafford's ownership is mulling over a bid from Qatari royal Sheikh Jassim to take over the club.
After years of a fractious relationship between the owners and the fans, the bid could potentially see everyone involved get what they want. The Glazers could get a nice stack of cash for the club. The Qataris could acquire a club with a strong European pedigree. Fans could begin a new era away from the Glazers.
United fans can look at how PSG, another club under Qatari stewardship by way of the Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) group, has been managed so far. The French giants have been catapulted into global football stardom since their takeover. Understandably, the Old Trafford faithful will be enamored with the ambitious vision and significant investments PSG have experienced.
However, aside from the unprecedented success domestically, the running of the Parisian giants might not be as smooth as it seems under the hood. Manchester United fans are understandably desperate for a return to their club's glory days. The recent success of Manchester City under Abu Dhabi ownership might make the takeover seem even more enticing. But here are some valuable lessons they can glean from the Qatari ownership of PSG that should give the fans a reason to be skeptical.
#4 The pitfalls of an all-star cast
The Qatari owners of PSG had a habit of setting bold ambitions in the transfer market. The goal was to establish itself as a global brand and a European powerhouse, so the club recruited the best players across the globe.
United fans will not be strangers to this transfer strategy, with the Manchester club also boasting an expensive squad. While the Glazers can be criticized for many things, failing to bring in marquee signings is not one of those faults.
However, big-name signings don't magically fix issues at a club. In PSG, players often seemed to be at loggerheads, with each other and even the managers.
An example is the reported tension between Kylian Mbappe had Neymar that arose last year. The stars' feud reportedly split the squad and according to reports, even Lionel Messi picked a side in the feud.
United fans should also see the lessons learned from the signings (and eventual exits) of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Sanchez. Massive big-name signings do not always fix a club.
#3 Rotating door of managers at PSG
The QSI group's ownership of PSG has been marked by a noticeable instability in the managerial department. The Parisian club have gone through 10 managers since the Gulf state invested in them and, as a result, lack a distinct identity.
Manchester United are in the same boat, since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, the club has been without an identity. While the Red Devils have not gone through managers at the gluttonous pace of PSG, the team is also lacking a distinct identity.
The Red Devils are now under the stewardship of Dutch tactician Erik Ten Hag. The Dutch manager has helped the team begin to find an identity for themselves both on and off the field.
The fans will have to ask themselves if they are willing to potentially jeopardize this progress by going down the PSG route of frequent sackings.
#2 Financial Fair Play problems could begin at Manchester United
Building a successful football club requires long-term vision, patience, and persistence. PSG's Qatari ownership has taken another route entirely. While bringing success, they have exhibited a marked commitment to supercharging the club financially.
As a result of this policy, the club has regularly fallen afoul of the Financial Fair Play statutes put in place to protect European clubs. This has led to the club being sanctioned by regulatory bodies on multiple occasions since its takeover.
While Manchester United have generally not been known for their frugality under the Glazers, they have managed to stay onside of regulatory requests. With Qatari ownership, the fans might have to prepare for a future where they frequently run afoul of those regulations and are punished accordingly.
#1 Youth development could diminish at Old Trafford
Manchester United is a club whose success historically has been built on the back of its successful youth development program. The legendary class of '92 and Busby Babes were all homegrown talent that came through the club's ranks and helped the team conquer the world.
Even now, academy graduates Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, and Alejandro Garnacho play an important role in the direction Manchester United is heading. This trend, however, might be in danger if the incoming Qatari owners continue the trend their consortium counterparts have set at PSG.
Despite being situated in a country that produces the best footballing talent in the world, the pathway from the PSG academy to the first team has not been clear. The club has housed and then lost some of the best young talents in Europe in recent years due to their inability to offer them regular game time.
Players like Xavi Simons, Kingsley Coman, and Christopher Nkunku have moved on to improve other teams while the Parisians have failed to build on their domestic dominance. Manchester United fans will have to ask themselves if this core identifying attribute of the club is worth sacrificing.
