Manchester United

In a bid to beat Sir Jim Ratcliffe to a takeover, the Qatari banker allegedly made a fresh offer for the 20-time English champions earlier this week.

Sheikh Jassim reportedly set Friday as the deadline for a response, and he was said to be prepared to walk away from a possible deal if he had not head back from Raine Group, who are overseeing the takeover process.

However, according to The Guardian, the bid will remain on the table, with the Qatari not prepared to walk away from the chance to purchase the club ahead of Ratcliffe.

The report claims that the banker is becoming increasingly frustrated with the pace of the takeover process, and his latest offer is said to be the fifth one that he has submitted since last November.

Sheikh Jassim's offer is for 100% of the club, while he has also allegedly made it clear that he would commit separate funds to improve Old Trafford and the training ground.

Ratcliffe's bid, meanwhile, is said to value Man United in the region of £5.5bn, but the British billionaire is only looking for a controlling stake of around 51% at this moment in time.

The Glazers could therefore stay on as minority shareholders, before Ratcliffe buys the remaining shares owned by the Americans after three years at the helm.

Man United are yet to name a preferred bidder for the club despite suggestions that Ratcliffe was now the favourite ahead of Sheikh Jassim, who has also been linked with West Ham United.

The club had allegedly initially been keen for the process to be completed before the opening of the summer transfer window but that will not be the case.

A recent report claimed that Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag is currently clashing with the Glazers over his summer plans, with the Dutchman keen to boost the squad in a number of positions.

The 20-time English champions are set to sign a new big-money centre-forward this summer, and they are also believed to be in for another centre-back and central midfielder.

The club are said to be preparing an offer for Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, meanwhile, with David de Gea yet to sign a new deal at Old Trafford.

Man United will be able to offer Champions League football to potential new signings next season, with the Red Devils finishing third in the 2022-23 Premier League table.