With one of the biggest brands in world sport, Manchester United have attracted a wide variety of interest ever since it emerged the Glazer family were looking to acquire new investors for a full or partial takeover of the club.
There has been talk of an internal takeover, in addition to a number of bids being tabled from around the world, with interest from the Middle East, the USA and a British investor in the form of Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Whoever chooses to turn their interest into a concrete bid will have until the 10pm tonight - the soft deadline - declare.
Any interest which evolves into concrete bids on Friday will be subject to scrutiny from investment banking firm, the Raine Group, with the US bank, who brokered Chelsea's takeover in 2022, being charged with the same task on behalf of United. The deadline has been set by the firm, who will listen to bids from a wide range of sources with a reported asking price of £6billion set by the current owners. We take a look at the rumoured interested parties and who might make a bid.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe
In an age of increasing overseas investment in the Premier League, the presence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the frame is generally welcomed by United fans. With his varied experience of sporting investment through involvement with OGC Nice, Mercedes F1 Team and the Ineos Cycling team, he is certainly a popular choice.
Ratcliffe is the only confirmed public bidder at this stage, with his company having told the PA news agency last month: “We have formally put ourselves into the process.”
The billionaire was born in Greater Manchester and is a fan of the club. However, his wealth may not be able to compete with some of the more powerful consortiums and states on this list.
Qatar
The small gulf state is expected to continue with its investment in football and a United bid could potentially come from the Qatari Royal Family in the form of the Qatar Investment Authority. Their assets already total roughly £340 billion, while their ownership of PSG already a high profile acquisition.
They could propose a £4bn deal to invest in the club, with the state keen to get involved in the Premier League. However, the criticism of human rights in the country and accusations of 'sportswashing' mean any bid will come with scrutiny.
Saudi Arabia
With the Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal telling the BBC that a bid for either United or Liverpool would be encouraged, it remains to be seen whether a formal offer will materialise. With Saudi Arabia already heavily invested in Newcastle United, a conflict of interest could arise and the bidders would have to make it clear that the investment is originating from entirely separate sources.
Elon Musk
The Tesla founder and new owner of Twitter has previously joked about the prospect of buying United, but as one of the richest people on the planet he certainly has the resources to do so, though it remains to be seen as to whether this is anything more than speculation.
Josh Harris and David Blitzer
As shareholders in Crystal Palace and one of the frontrunners to purchase Chelsea last year, the owners of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment will be familiar names to the Raine Group. However, they could enter the running primarily as a minority shareholder with the potential to facilitate an internal takeover from Joel and Avram Glazer, who have been reported to be interested in buying out their siblings.
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