Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of the parties involved in the ongoing Manchester United takeover saga, has reportedly tabled a fresh proposal that would enable Avram and Joel Glazer to retain a small stake in the club.
Ratcliffe, Britain's richest man and the chief of Ineos, has submitted bids in both of the previous rounds of the process along with Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani and others.
And while Sheikh Jassim is intent on acquiring 100 per cent of the club rather than a minority stake, it has now emerged that Ratcliffe has tabled an offer that would allow two of the Glazers to remain on board ahead of Friday's third and final deadline for bids.
A report from The Times has outlined that Ratcliffe's latest proposal would see the Ineos chief take a controlling 50 per cent stake in the club; paving the way for Avram and Joel to retain a stake of around 20 per cent. The remaining 30 per cent of shares would remain with various other groups.
Such an offer would likely appeal to Avram and Joel, who have been at loggerheads with other members of the family over whether or not to sell up fully or just a minority stake.
Reports have already outlined that, out of the Glazer siblings, the duo are the ones who are leaning towards staying at the club in some form despite fierce opposition from fans, who have staged regular protests against the family since they completed their leveraged buyout back in 2005.
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And such a deal would mean a lower initial outlay for Ratcliffe, who was beaten to a deal for Chelsea by Todd Boehly last year. Any prospective new owner will have to give Old Trafford and the club's Carrington training base a much-needed facelift, which will cost a significant amount.
After three rounds of bidding, it's expected that Raine Group, the American bank overseeing the process for the Glazers, could confirm a preferred bidder as early as the beginning of next week.
While Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim have been considered as the frontrunners throughout the process, there had been fears as recently as a few weeks ago that the Glazers could renege on plans to sell the club and, instead, seek a minority investment which would allow them to retain a controlling stake.
Such a move is likely to draw major opposition from disgruntled Manchester United fans, who have been anxiously awaiting a conclusion. The process kicked off back in November following a statement from the Glazers which outlined they were open to selling the club after 17 years at the helm.
