This is a bit of a conspiracy theory, but I think it's actually about property for Jassim.
There's an article here about how McDonald's is not really a fast food company, but instead it's a real estate company:
https://www.wallstreetsurvivor.com/mcdonalds-beyond-the-burger/
Basically, McDonald's buy up land, watch it appreciate in value, and then sell franchising rights so that people can afford to pay them rent. It's not obvious at first blush because we associate Maccie D's with burgers rather than acres. But it's supposedly how they really make their money.
I think Jassim is doing something similar with Old Trafford, especially if you look at how other billionaires (not least from his own country) have invested in properties in London in recent years (I think his father's former company part own the Gherkin, for example). The football club is the thin end of the wedge. The land is where he'll make his profit.
Old Trafford comes with a load of relatively undeveloped real estate around it, while only being a stone's throw from Media City and Salford Quays. There's a huge amount of untapped potential there. Jassim could jump the queue on that potential by building up the area right next door. If Manchester continues it's upward trajectory, Salford Quays could become like north's version of Canary Wharf (albeit in a different industry) and Old Trafford would be its Isle of Dogs.
Investment there would be good for the city, if nothing else. And even if Jassim decides to sell the club for minimal profit down the line, he could probably do so while keeping the surrounding land for himself and still coming out on top. I think this is why he's been so hesitant not to over-bid. Because he's as concerned about his profit margins as anyone else. Though I think unlike the Glazers, he sees a successful Manchester United as good thing for his bottom line rather than incidental.
