There was a bizarre development in the sale Manchester United as neither Sheikh Jassim or Sir Jim Ratcliffe submitted takeover bids before Wednesday’s 9pm deadline.
Qatari and Ineos representatives said their bids were in but sources at United said they had not been received.
Both parties have been granted extensions and offers are now expected to be made on Thursday.
The Glazer family confirmed in November they were open to selling United and have valued the club at £6billion. The highest first-round bids were around £4.5bn, well short of that valuation.
Both sides have kept the size of their offers close to their chests and are not commenting publicly.
Any bid of more than £3.75bn would break the world-record fee for a sports club set when the Denver Broncos were sold last summer.
Sheikh Jassim wants to complete a full takeover. His Qatari consortium have said the offer "plans to return the club to its former glories".
Ineos want to buy the combined Glazer shareholding of around 69 per cent. Manchester-born Ratcliffe has said he would aim to "put the Manchester back into Manchester United".
