Crucial talks today between the board of Sainsbury’s and the Qatar-backed investment vehicle circling the chain will focus on the ability to deliver a bid. Daily Telegraph. The Times. The Guardian. Financial Times

Sir Philip Hampton, Sainsbury’s chairman, is due to meet Paul Taylor, who runs the Qataris’ Delta Two Investment Fund, today.

A Sainsbury’s source said: ‘There is no point in talking about the price until we know they can deliver.’

Turmoil in the debt markets and continued opposition from members of the Sainsbury’s family to a highly leveraged bid have sparked doubts about whether the Qataris’ attempt to buy Sainsbury’s will succeed.