Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe submit final bids for Manchester United

The bidding process has dragged on since the Glazers first announced their intention last November to put the Old Trafford club on the market. They announced that the board had: “authorised a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives”, which included the sale of the club.

Sheikh Jassim’s offer is believed to be in the region of £5bn according to BBC Sport. A figure that would go directly to the owners is said to be included in the huge bid. The Qatari businessman plans to invest heavily in the club’s infrastructure and make a significant amount of additional capital available they added.

Friday’s third deadline saw Thomas Zilliacus, the Finnish businessman, drop out of the bidding. He previously entered a bid but decided not to continue further.

There was no word on the latest bid lodged by Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It was suggested earlier in the week however that their previous offer could be restructured in the third round.

Sir Jim previously launched his bid to take a majority stake control in the club by acquiring co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer’s 69 per cent shareholding. It is now thought that he may have adjusted his offer to allow them to retain their personal stake.