'I'm not sure he exists!' - Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims dig at Qatari rival bidder for Man Utd Sheikh Jassim after completing minority takeover at Old Trafford

The British billionaire gave his opinion on a range of subjects in his first round of interviews since his 25 percent purchase of United, which gives him control of the sporting operations at Old Trafford, was concluded.

Asked about Sheikh Jassim, the head of a Qatari bid that was believed to be the preferred option for some time, Ratcliffe quipped: “Still nobody's ever seen him [Jassim], actually. The Glazers never met him - I'm not sure he exists!”

The peculiar story of the Qatari bid for United seems ripe for a future podcast series or documentary. Long presumed to be the frontrunner as the protracted sales process dragged on, the proposal suddenly vanished with official documents showing that the Sheikh did not respond to requests to provide proof of funds. An ultimatum led to Sheikh Jassim withdrawing from the process, leaving the path clear for Ratcliffe's arrival.

Further deepening the mystery were claims from prominent United figures that the Qatari deal was done. United fans are now left wondering if the bid and Sheikh Jassim existed at all.

The INEOS chief continues apace with his rebuild of United's outmoded sporting structures as he looks to appoint Newcastle's sporting director Dan Ashworth and Southampton's Jason Wilcox to key roles. Ratcliffe has vowed to appoint only 'world-class' people to key management positions.