Man Utd bid advances to third round with Glazers still pushing for £6billion

April 4 - Manchester United are reportedly accepting a third round of offers from potential buyers by the end of the month, as speculation intensifies over the identity of the new owners.

According to media reports, there are up to seven investment partners in the mix who have all been contacted by Raine Group, the investment bank handling the process, regarding their initial offers.

The two main bidders, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe of Qatar, are said to have submitted world record bids of around £5bn in the second round, although the Glazer family are still valuing the club to £6 billion. .

It was announced in November that the US owners, who bought the club for £790m in 2005, were exploring "strategic alternatives" which could include a full sale.

While a number of different parties have expressed interest in the 13 Premier League winners, only Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim seem keen on achieving a full takeover. Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus is also keen to take over in a unique shared deal with fans.

Sheikh Jassim is the son of a former Qatari prime minister and chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bank. He insists he is a lifelong fan and that his interest is a private initiative through his Nine Two Foundation and not tied to the Qatari state.

However, United fans might be more open to the idea of ​​their club being taken over by INEOS chief Ratcliffe, Britain's richest man and also a lifelong fan.

>

Ratcliffe currently owns French club Nice and also launched a bid to buy Chelsea when Roman Abramovich relinquished control in 2022.

Contact the author of this story at moc.l1681334115labto1681334115ofdlr1681334115owedi1681334115sni@w1681334115ahsra1681334115w.wer1681334115dna1681334115