Manchester United co-chair Avram Glazer has been spotted leaving a hotel owned by takeover hopeful Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani's father.
Glazer was pictured outside of Claridge's Hotel in London on Monday. The photographs will fuel speculation that Sheikh Jassim is still in the race to become the next owner of the Red Devils, although Mirror Football understands it is a race he will lose.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group remain very confident that they will be given preferred bidder status in the coming days following recent communication with the Raine group, the New York-based merchant bank overseeing the sale process.
Sheikh Jassim's father, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, owns the Maybourne Hotel Group, which is the parent company of Claridge's. Glazer was pictured walking out of the building in Mayfair before entering a Mercedes.
According to Companies House, Sheikh Jassim's brother, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, is also a director of the Maybourne Hotel Group.
Ratcliffe, 70, submitted a final bid that included an offer for Avram Glazer and brother Joel to retain minor stakes in the club for a transitional period, but the exact details remain unknown.
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Last Friday senior sources close to Ratcliffe, a childhood United supporter, indicated that they believe a period of exclusivity will be offered to them - enabling final negotiations to take place.
The overall deal could pass £6billion - a record for any sports team and more than double the amount Chelsea was sold for to an American consortium last May. Ratcliffe submitted a late bid to buy the Blues but lost out to Todd Boehly's consortium.
Despite confidence in Ratcliffe's bid for United, sources are warning that there are no guarantees in place around a deal being completed - and it could be months before everything is finalised. That may concern Erik ten Hag ahead of the transfer window.
The Glazers put United up for sale in November but promised to "explore strategic alternatives", which means they might just sell a fraction of their shares. They may ultimately decide to welcome a minority investor on board to improve the club's infrastructure.
Old Trafford is in need of redevelopment or a rebuild, while United's Carrington training ground also needs renovating. This is expected to cost more than £1.5bn.
The Glazers' shares in United are split between the six siblings: Joel, Avram, Bryan, Edward, Darcie and Kevin. It's believed Joel and Avram want to remain on board, despite being viewed unfavourably by fans. The other four siblings, meanwhile, are happy to sell up.
As such, Ratcliffe's olive branch to keep Avram and Joel involved could be vital in his pursuit to land one of the biggest clubs on the planet. INEOS already have a packed sporting portfolio, which includes Ligue 1 side Nice and Swiss outfit Lausanne-Sport.
Time is running out for Sheikh Jassim to make a late improved offer for United. The banker's bid has been criticised due to his close links with the Qatari state, as his dad is a former prime minister of the country.
Furthermore, Qatar 's sovereign wealth fund - Qatar Investment Authority - is the single largest shareholder of the Qatar Islamic Bank. Sheikh Jassim is the chair of that bank.
