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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Sheikh Jassim eyes future bid

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 after all. But after so much failure in recent years, United fans can only tolerate so much and Ratcliffe needs to start making right decisions quickly before things turn bad again.

United eye long-term solution

According to the Daily Telegraph, United are looking to bring in a long-term solution to their left-back woes this winter. Among the names mentioned are Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies and Paraguayan full-back Diego Leon.

While Davies could be available for free in seven months, the amount of competition surrounding him makes United an unlikely destination. At 17, Leon is seen as a top talent across Europe with several Premier League clubs, including United, scouting him extensively.

What MEN Sport says: If you were to define an Ineos signing in the Oxford Dictionary, Leon would be it. A player for the future who United could mould into a star is exactly what the Reds want. Furthermore, he would be cheap and represents huge sell-on value. The Reds are in desperate need of a replacement for Luke Shaw who does not look able to shake off those injuries. The only concern is whether a teenager is the right signing for the short-term especially with United currently struggling on the left-flank.