The royal family of Qatar is preparing a fresh £1.5billion bid for Manchester United after the Glazers rejected an earlier offer.

Sheik-up: Sir Alex Ferguson and a member of the Al Thani family during Man U's visit to Qatar in January last year.

A source close to the oil-rich emirate’s ruling Al Thani family confirmed that it tried to tempt the Glazers earlier this month with an offer of just over £1bn.

The bid was turned down by the Americans, who are holding out for closer to £1.8bn.

But the Al Thanis are on the verge of raising the stakes, partly motivated by rivalry with the Abu Dhabi royal family, whose wealth has transformed United’s arch-rivals Manchester City into title contenders.
Going head to head on the pitch would give the Al Thanis the opportunity to get one over on their Gulf neighbours, with the Manchester football scene offering a high-profile battleground.
Qatar is also keen to portray itself as a football-loving nation, after critics said it did not deserve to win the right to host the 2022 World Cup, because of its lack of football history.