Journalist Laurie Whitwell has revealed that members of the Qatari consortium interested in buying Manchester United were given the same "red carpet" treatment upon their visit to the club as other interested parties.
What's going on with Manchester United's potential takeover?
Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani's firm, as well as Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has visited the club's facilities following initial opening bids, as well as other potentially interested parties.
These two look to be the frontrunners in the race as they try to acquire full ownership of the club from the Glazer family, but an agreement is yet to be reached.
Amid rumours that the Glazers could change their minds about wanting to sell the club, Whitwell has claimed that the interested parties being welcomed to the club with open arms has shown an indication that the Glazers' position of being open to a sale remains.
Speaking on the Stretford Paddock following Ratcliffe's visit, Whitwell revealed that all interested parties who visited Old Trafford and the training ground in recent weeks were given a big welcome.
He said: "There was some doubt about whether the Glazers were serious about selling. I think it does signal their intent, of sorts, to say, 'ok, we're going to properly exhaust every conversation that we can have about this with a view to selling the club'.
"That will still depend on who bids what and if they're satisfied. I think they've got a price in mind. I think it was an interesting aspect, particularly the fact that you had it on camera – they literally rolled out the red carpet, didn't they? And I'm told that that was the same situation for the Qataris the day before and other investors that they've had conversations with."
Would the Qataris be good for Man United?
Sheikh Jassim's consortium has promised to invest heavily into the infrastructure of the club, as well as the first team and academy, meaning that if they complete a takeover, they could help United develop on and off the pitch for the long term.
They also appear ready to clear the club's debt, which has been one of the biggest problems under the ownership of the Glazers, and as the richest interested party, they appear to be the best option for the future of Man United from a pragmatic point of view.
However, large questions remain over the potential of sportswashing which could occur as a result of their investment, and there has been heavy criticism over links between Jassim and the Qatari government.
It remains to be seen who will come out on top in the race for the ownership of the club, and it is perhaps a good sign that there doesn't appear to be any preferential treatment handed out by the Glazers as they mull over which bid to accept.
