Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani is very much still in the race to buy Manchester United, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Reports have suggested that Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had outbid his rival by valuing the club at more the £5 Billion, although the British multi-billionaire’s offer is only for a 50% stake. Romano says that sources have told him Sheikh Jassim is hopeful he will seal the takeover:

“Those close to Sheikh Jassim guarantee that he remains in the race; he remains confident. And he feels his proposal is the best one for Man United. So we know there were so many crazy things happening around this Manchester United bid process.”

It has been claimed that Sheikh Jassim has offered to buy the whole club for around £5 Billion, but that is also said to include future investment.

With the Glazers seemingly only caring about the base price, Ratcliffe’s proposal may seem a lot more attractive, especially as it will allow them to stay as minority shareholders as well.

As Romano says, there are likely to be plenty more twists and turns in the bidding process for United over the coming days and weeks.