Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani confirmed shortly after 8pm on Friday evening that he had submitted a Manchester United takeover bid.
Just under two hours before the Raine Group's 10pm 'soft deadline' for interested parties to submit their offers, Al Thani, who has claimed he is a lifelong United supporter, issued a statement to confirm that he had tabled a bid. His main competitor is set to come in the form of British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is also said to have lodged an official offer ahead of the cut-off point.
Though some United supporters are only interested in seeing the Glazer family relinquish control of the club, plenty of others have reservations about the idea of the club being owned by a member of the Qatari royal family. Human rights issues in Qatar have been well documented as a concern for many - and understandably so.
