Qatar's Al Thani reportedly submits new £5billion bid for Manchester United

Sheikh Jassim (44), a son of Qatar’s former prime minister, launched the bid in February. A spokesperson representing Sheikh Jassim said at the time that the bid was completely debt free, via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation.

Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus (59) also placed a bid on Thursday and told Reuters that he was willing to pay a premium for the English club.

United's current owners, the Glazer family, began looking at options for the record 20-time English champions in November, including new investment or a potential sale, 17 years after they bought the Old Trafford club.

Manchester United did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, a life-long United fan and founder of chemicals producer INEOS, put in a bid for the club in February.

Any sale of the club would likely exceed the biggest sports deal so far, the $5.2billion including debt and investments paid for Chelsea, sources told Reuters previously.

United's Premier League rivals Liverpool have also said they would explore the option of bringing in investors, while Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi was set to launch a $3.75billion bid for Tottenham Hotspur, sources told Reuters in February.

United are the fourth richest club in the world, according to analysis by Deloitte. They are widely seen as one of the most prized assets in all of sport.