Sheikh Jassim is “not giving up” in his attempts to buy Manchester United, according to The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell.

The reliable journalist has been assessing the Qataris’ chances of beating Sir Jim Ratcliffe to become United’s next owner when he hinted that a fifth offer could still be tabled.

Jassim and his representatives submitted a fourth bid for the club earlier this week. However, the £5.5bn proposal still values the Red Devils below Ratcliffe’s most recent offer and Whitwell claims that another attempt from the Qataris could be made if they receive a negative response from the club:

“Those involved in Sheikh Jassim’s bid say they are not giving up, as this latest apparent bid demonstrates. Whether it is the final one depends, according to sources, on what feedback they now receive.”

The vast majority of United supporters want Jassim to come out on top in the bidding process, with the main reason being that they don’t want the Glazers to remain at Old Trafford in any capacity.

From the sound of things, though, Ratcliffe’s bid for a majority stake could still win out, so the Qataris have a lot of work to do.