The Qatari royal family member was said to have offered more than £5BN for the Red Devils, but this is not the case, as Ineos values the club at a higher price.

The race to buy Manchester United has taken a new and unexpected twist as Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain's richest man, appears to have taken the lead over Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani in the battle for one of football's greatest clubs.

According to the Daily Mail, the British billionaire values the Red Devils higher than the aforementioned Qatari royal family member and this reflects in his bid. In fact, he is the only one whose offer would see the club priced at over £5BN (roughly $6.3BN in today's market).

Ratcliffe, through his firm Ineos, wish to buy 69% of the 20-time English champions or, should Glazer brothers Joel and Avram decide to retain a stake at the club, just over 50 percent, which is a huge possibility.

Both the British billionaire and Sheikh Jassim have submitted their offers and while the Qatari official's sources claim that his bid crossed the £5BN mark, this is not the case. Those close to the sale process have revealed that this isn't true and that Ineos values the club higher.

A higher value should not be confused with a higher bid. Sheikh Jassim wishes to acquire 100 percent of Manchester United and has thus offered more money. However, Ratcliffe's valuation of the club could put the Qatari official at a huge disadvantage.

The sale process, which is being overseen by US merchant bank Raine Group, is entering a crucial stage. The final bids were submitted on Friday, with the preferred suitor set to be chosen in the next seven to ten days.

Another thing that needs remembering is the Glazer Family could retain control of the club and sell a partial stake in exchange for investment. A number of US-based groups are interested in such an arrangement, including the American hedge fund Elliott Management that took control of AC Milan's sale in 2018.