Manchester United confirmed takeover interest and potential bidders ahead of deadline

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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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