Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is understood to be ‘very confident’ that his bid for Manchester United will be successful.
Al Thani has been one of the most high-profile suitors in the race to takeover at Manchester United and held talks with club officials last week ahead of a second formal offer to the Glazer family.
United have set a deadline of 9pm Wednesday for interested parties to submit second offers and there is a growing confidence from the Qatar delegation that their approach will win the race.
The lead competition appears to be from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who the Telegraph report is set to table a second bid. Ratcliffe – who owns chemical company Ineos and is regarded as Britain’s richest man – has been vocal in his interest, but this week said he would not ‘pay stupid prices’ the Premier League side.
However, as many as eight groups have met with Manchester United to discuss terms over a sale which looks set to exceed £5bn – a world record for sports team.
Al Thani believes the proposal from Qatar possesses a clear advantage in the race, given it does not require lending.
Their proposal would be debt-free, a scenario which puts them in a strong position to take ownership at Old Trafford given a crisis in debt markets in the wake of the Swiss banking crisis.
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