Erik ten Hag has outlined what he needs at Manchester United amid Qatari Sheikh takeover bid

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani confirmed shortly after 8pm on Friday evening that he had submitted a Manchester United takeover bid.

Just under two hours before the Raine Group's 10pm 'soft deadline' for interested parties to submit their offers, Al Thani, who has claimed he is a lifelong United supporter, issued a statement to confirm that he had tabled a bid. His main competitor is set to come in the form of British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is also said to have lodged an official offer ahead of the cut-off point.

Though some United supporters are only interested in seeing the Glazer family relinquish control of the club, plenty of others have reservations about the idea of the club being owned by a member of the Qatari royal family. Human rights issues in Qatar have been well documented as a concern for many - and understandably so.

READ MORE: Who is Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani? Qatari banker behind United offer

But with more and more investors from Gulf states laying their hands on some of Europe's biggest clubs, it's certainly not out of the question that Al Thani could win the battle. You cannot deny that he has not hit the right notes in his statement confirming his bid, vowing to invest in the club's infrastructure and that his offer is debt free, but any prospective owner at any club in the world, however big or small, can always produce an opening statement with words that supporters want to hear.

Should Al Thani gain full control of United and put his money where his mouth is, investing large sums of money into just about every corner of the club, not least the first-team squad, the prospect of Erik ten Hag receiving sufficient financial backing in the transfer market is an