Will Sheikh Jassim submit fifth bid for Manchester United?

BBC journalist Simon Stone has given the latest update on whether Sheikh Jassim could launch a fifth bid to take over Manchester United from the Glazer family.

The Qatari businessman has so far launched four proposals to complete a full takeover of United, through his Nine Two Foundation.

The Guardian reported that their latest bid, submitted last month, was worth around £5.5 billion, inclusive of clearing the club's debt and a fund to invest in both the stadium and the local community.

But despite speculation over recent weeks that an announcement could be made soon, neither Sheikh Jassim or his main rival, the joint proposal from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, have been named as the preferred bidder by the Glazer family.

With the transfer window now 12 days away from opening, it remains to be seen whether a decision will be made after the FA Cup final against Manchester City on Saturday - United's final game of the season.

Here is what has been reported so far surrounding the possibility of Sheikh Jassim launching a fifth bid.

What has been said about the fifth bid?

Writing for BBC Sport, Stone has explained that there is 'a feeling' that the Nine Two Foundation could yet increase their offer to buy United, despite their fourth proposal representing a world-record bid for a sports club.

He wrote: "There has still been no decision around whether the Glazer family will accept one of the current bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS Group or Sheikh Jassim.

"The latter put in a fourth bid more than a fortnight ago but there is a feeling Sheikh Jassim may be tempted to go higher. Sheikh Jassim wants to buy 100 per cent of the club."

Meanwhile, Ben Jacobs has hinted that the Qatari proposal may have to go higher in order to complete a takeover.

He told FootballFanCast: "The Nine Two Foundation take confidence from the fact that despite that cautious optimism, INEOS have not been placed in a period of exclusivity or given the title of the preferred bidder.

"What that means is the door is always open. I think the Nine Two Foundation feel like INEOS is almost a stalking horse to try and drive up the price, so if Qatar are to succeed, then they're still likely to have to go higher, which would mean, if we include the indicative offer, a fifth bid."

When is the deadline for bids?

Officially, three deadlines have been set by US merchant bank Raine Group, who are overseeing negotiations during the takeover process.

However, the deadlines do not appear to be binding. Sheikh Jassim launched his latest offer after the third and most recent deadline had passed.

However, The Guardian's Jamie Jackson claimed on Thursday that the Qatari businessman is yet to hear back from the Glazers over the status of his fourth bid.