Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani's camp have branded claims that they've been successful in the race to buy Manchester United as 'pure speculation'.
The Qatari entourage, who've been battling Sir Jim Ratcliffe and others for the best part of eight months, insist that they remain in a 'holding pattern' as current owners the Glazer family decide on a preferred bidder, a choice which is expected to be made this week. Sheikh Jassim's response follows sensational reports from Qatar on Monday which claimed that he'd been beaten INEOS chief executive Ratcliffe and got the go-ahead from the Glazers.
Chairman of Qatar Islamic bank and said to be a huge United fan, Sheikh Jassim was even congratulated by a Qatari businessman following Monday's claims from Al-Watan, who now site international media as the basis of their report. Less than 12 hours after the news broke, however, the Press Association reported that Sheikh Jassim's camp are still waiting on a response from the Glazers.
