Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is said to have played a significant role in Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani's proposed bid to buy Manchester United.
The Qatari billionaire has been one of the main frontrunners to complete a takeover at Old Trafford since the Glazers confirmed their intent to sell back in January. He has lodged a succession of bids to push through a deal but faces tough competition from INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
However, according to The Athletic, as part of his offer to buy United, Jassim's team initially consulted Al-Khelaifi for advice on United's valuation, after the Glazers wanted £6.4billion for the club. Jassim lodged a fifth and final offer for United earlier this week, which will remain on the table even after Friday's deadline.
But PSG's Al-Khelaifi, who has acted in an advisory role for Sheikh Jassim's bid, has met the Glazers and Raine Group, the American bank to discuss the proposed takeover. The Glazers have contacted Al-Khelaifi in an attempt to persuade Jassim to increase his bid, which may come closer to what the current United owners are looking for.
Jassim's fifth offer is believed to be around £5bn. The bid is for the entire club, which includes the shares owned by various minority shareholders. Meanwhile, Ratcliffe's offer values the club slightly higher but his proposal would leave some or all of the six Glazer siblings as minority shareholders.
Elsewhere, a man previously linked with a takeover, Thomas Zilliacus, has claimed that he has once again pulled out of the process despite having previously confirmed his intentions to step back last month.
A post on the Finnish businessman’s Twitter account read: "XXI Century Football Capital focuses on football investments. We know how to make clubs successful and profitable and how to make fans happy. We focus on big clubs with a large fan base. We are profit oriented as only profitable clubs are successful in the long run.
"XXI Century Football Capital believes the price of Manchester United has reached levels where investments no longer make sense. We therefore have turned our attention to other clubs."
When asked if he was still a fan of the Red Devils, he replied: "I became a fan of United when I was 11, that won't change. There are many other clubs I like; Barcelona, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, Inter etc. Investments are however made based on financial calculations, not love."
Zilliacus then added: "Lately my name has been linked to Inter Milan. It is a great club with a fantastic history. The owner has however said the club is not for sale. Let's all respect that and support #Inter in tomorrow's final. I predict a narrow win for #nerazzurri."
