Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has won the race to buy <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/manchester-united/" target="_blank">Manchester United</a>, according to a report on a Qatari news site. Sheikh Jassim had been locked in a bidding war with British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe for control of ownership of the Premier League giants. The chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank last week submitted a fifth and final offer to buy the 20-time English champions and, according to <i>Al-Watan</i> newspaper, has been chosen by United's current owners the Glazers as their preferred bid. <i>Al-Watan</i> posted on Twitter on Monday night that Sheikh Jassim's takeover bid has been a "success" and that an official announcement was imminent. While the financials have not been disclosed, UK media reports say <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2023/06/07/qatars-sheikh-jassim-submits-fifth-and-final-offer-for-manchester-united-say-reports/" target="_blank">Sheikh Jassim's final bid submitted on June 7</a> was £5 billion for total control of United. The offer includes clearing a £1 billion debt and a fund solely for the club and surrounding community, according to an earlier report in <i>The Guardian</i> newspaper. Ratcliffe, the chief of Ineos group and a boyhood United fan, had wanted to purchase around 60 per cent of the club. His offer comes with a proposal that would allow the Glazers to remain for a set time period ahead of a sourced buyout. The Glazer family originally valued the club at £6 billion after it went on the market. <i>Al-Watan's</i> report that a decision by the Glazers will be announced soon will bring to a close one of the most protracted takeovers of a football club in recent times. The US-based Glazer family are deeply unpopular among the United fan base and had announced in November that the board was exploring strategic alternatives for the future, with a full sale one option being considered. Manchester United fans had been hoping for a quick resolution of the club's ownership as the team seem to have <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2023/06/05/erik-ten-hag-proud-of-the-spirit-at-manchester-united/">turned a corner this season</a>. Under new manager Erik ten Hag, United won the League Cup, their first trophy in six years, finished third in the Premier League and<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2023/06/04/manchester-united-broken-after-fa-cup-final-defeat-but-erik-ten-hag-proud-of-his-players/" target="_blank"> narrowly lost out to Manchester City in this month's FA Cup final</a>.