Nasser Al-Khelaifi is the president of the PSG and many hoped he could influence Sheikh Jasim bin Hamad Al Thani. Credit: Getty Images/Sebastien Muylaert
The Glazers appear to have turned to the Paris Saint-Germain president for help in persuading fellow Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani to increase his bid for Manchester United.
Insiders close to the talks told Telegraph Sport. that Nasser Al-Khelaifi refused to intervene after United's owners suggested last month that he could help as an intermediary.
Sheikh Jassim, who has since submitted Manchester United's fifth buyout offer, has separately sought Al-Khelaifi's private opinion on the proposed takeover.
However, several sources claim that the PSG owner has no official or unofficial role in this process, and did not offer any information on how much the Qatari group should pay.
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To forestall speculation that a Qatar takeover could violate multi-club ownership rules in the Champions League, Sheikh Jassim's camp has consistently stressed that his offer comes from private funding unrelated to Qatar Sports Investments, which owns PSG.
It's been seven months since the Glazers generated interest, and the patience of many involved is wearing thin, with current offerings still falling short of the family's original assessment. Sheikh Jassim's most recent approach to securing a 100 percent ransom states that he will no longer be involved in the process from Friday, although his offer stands.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe's offer of most rivals being seriously considered, it is also said that there is dissatisfaction among United's other current shareholders. Ineos' approach actually involves dealing only with the family and not with minority investors. As a result, one hedge fund that owns a large stake in the club is preparing legal proceedings in case Ratcliffe comes up with an offer to buy only the class B voting shares of the Glazers, Reuters reported.
Nasser Al.
p> – Helaifi denies allegations of involvement in the sale of Manchester United.
Hedge funds are reportedly looking into past precedents under the laws of the Cayman Islands, where Manchester United is registered, to see how they can build a case against any maneuver by the Glazers or Ratcliffe.
Meanwhile, with the transfer window open on 14 June, United manager Erik ten Hag desperately needs clarity on his budget and property situation ahead of a critical summer for the club.
As of last week, the Glazers are still undecided, although negotiations with Ratcliffe are increasingly encouraging. He flew to New York last month and is poised to buy up about half of the club's powerful B-shares at an attractive price. However, there is no guarantee from the inner circle of the American family that they are ready to declare the owner of Ineos as the preferred bidder.
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