With the Manchester United takeover saga now drawing to a close, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has pledged to invest an additional $1bn (£800million) into the club's infrastructure and facilities in a bid to beat Sir Jim Ratcliffe to a deal.
Ratcliffe, the chief of petrochemicals giant Ineos, is believed to have valued the club at a higher price than Sheikh Jassim and the other rival bids that were submitted during the third and final stage of the process last week.
Furthermore, the lifelong Manchester United fan would also be open to accommodating the wishes of Avram and Joel Glazer by allowing the pair to retain a small stake in the club. Ratcliffe's initial offer is for the Glazers' controlling 69 per cent stake, rather than 100 per cent of the club.
