Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, a member of the Gulf state’s ruling royal family, last night confirmed he has lodged an offer — believed to be up to £5billion — for “100 per cent” of United.
He also vowed to “return the club to its former glories” and make it “completely debt free”.
One of Britain’s richest men, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and his Ineos group also made a bid ahead of last night’s 10pm ‘soft’ deadline.
Locally-born United supporter Ratcliffe, 70, has pitched that he will put “Manchester back into Manchester United” with a “British bid to make the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.”
Saudi and US-led consortia are also believed to be in the contest.
Sheikh Jassim, whose father Hamad is a former Prime Minister of Qatar, made his formal approach to United’s bid supervisors, the US-based Raine Group.
The 41-year-old, educated at the elite Sandhurst military academy in Berkshire and who claims to be a lifelong United fan, emerged as the man behind the previously secretive Qatari bid.
And the decision by the Qatari, chairman of the QIB bank which has assets of £42bn, to put his head above the parapet could be the most significant of all in the battle for United.
Any deal at the £5bn mark would smash the record price for a sports team – with NFL franchise Denver Broncos currently the most expensive after a £3.8bn takeover last year.
However the Qatari offer still falls below the Glazer family’s £6bn asking price.
Any link buliding on our comment section will be make as spam.