Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani remains determined to buy Manchester United despite the Glazer family putting the takeover process on hold.
Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, is fronting one of the two groups who are seeking a full takeover of the Red Devils. English billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is heading up the other bid through his Ineos chemical company.
Neither of the bidders has yet heard back from the Raine Group, who are running the process on behalf of the Glazers. Al Thani remains committed to buying the club - his family are one of Qatar's richest thanks to his father's spell as prime minister.
Doubts are increasing that the Glazers will actually sell the club though, with The Guardian reporting the Americans are intent on securing a higher fee than the initial bids. The original deadline of sealing a deal by the end of March now looks unlikely.
Both Al Thani and Ratcliffe lodged their bids a fortnight ago, but there is said to be indecision among the six Glazer siblings. They are hoping to bring in £6billion from the sale, though Al Thani and Ratcliffe's bids have only reached £4.5bn.
A sale by the end of the season now appears to be a more likely outcome, with the possibility for merely an investment in the club on the table. Despite the delays, Sky Sports report that Al Thani is 'determined' to buy United.
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It is said he is keen to invest in both the club and the community if he does win the race to take over United. The Qatari was keen to be at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final but decided it was not appropriate for him to attend and watched the game from home instead.
According to The Athletic, Al Thani held provisional conversations with the Red Knights group in 2010 about joining their takeover bid. Though Qatar ultimately opted against joining that bid, Al Thani remains keen on buying the club.
"The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and - above all - will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more," a statement on behalf of the Al Thani bid read when his interest was confirmed.
"The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the club supports.
"The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world."
