Man United owners await revised offers for Premier League giants
Manchester United's owners were awaiting fresh bids Thursday from a Qatari banker and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe after a deadline passed for revised offers to buy the Premier League giants.
Reports said bidders were initially told they had until 21:00 GMT on Wednesday to submit new offers, but that has now been extended.
It is unclear when the new cut-off will be.
Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber AI Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, and Ratcliffe, the founder of chemicals giant INEOS, remain the front runners should the American Glazer family, who own United, give up control of the club.
Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus threw his hat into the ring on Thursday with a bid he said will give fans the chance to own 50 percent of the club.
"My bid is built on equality with the fans," Zilliacus, founder and chairman of investment company Mobile FutureWorks, said in a statement.
"My group will finance half of the sum needed to take over the club and will ask the fans, through a new company that is being set up for this specific purpose, to participate for the other half."
The Glazers have angered many United supporters by saddling the club with huge debts since they took over in 2005. They appeared ready to cash out at an enormous profit when they invited external investment in November.
However, they could yet shun the option of selling a controlling stake in the club, with other parties understood to be interested in a minority shareholding.
The Times reported US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management, which sold AC Milan for $1.3 billion last year, had made a bid to buy a minority stake.
A first round of bidding took place last month, and it has been reported there are as many as eight separate