Sheikh Jassim eyes 'future Man United takeover bid' as Ineos look for long-term solution

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos are currently in one of their toughest periods since acquiring a minority stake in the club.

Last weekend's PR disaster which saw sporting director Dan Ashworth leave United after just five months in position left a sour taste in the mouths of plenty of supporters. The Reds' fanbase were asked to be patient but that is starting to wear thin after a poor start to the campaign both on and off the pitch.

And now, as we close in on a full year since United's takeover process was concluded, the man who finished second in that takeover race appears to still hold desires of returning. Take a look at what has been said in the latest media watch.

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According to the Daily Mail, sources close to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani believe the Qatari banker has still got an eye on taking over the Reds in the future. The Middle East businessman was a fan of the Reds from birth and it is claimed he would have been looking to hire rather than fire staff, had he have won the bid.

When asked if Sheikh Jassim would bid again for United, the source said: "If the opportunity to buy the whole of Manchester United arose again at some point in the future it is hard to see there not being a big level of interest. The plans are still there."

What MEN Sport says: While it is easy for someone who has no power over the pursestrings at Old Trafford to say they would do A) B) and C) if they were in charge, this latest revelation does little to ease the pressure on Ratcliffe and co. Patience has been the name of the game for Ineos since they arrived at Old Trafford - Rome was not built in a day