Who could buy Manchester United and how much is it worth?

Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS formally entered the bidding process to buy Manchester United on Tuesday, months after the club owners, the Glazer family, said they were considering selling the club as they explore "strategic alternatives".

If the Glazers decided to follow through with a sale of the Premier League club, here are some of the possible buyers:

JIM RATCLIFFE

British billionaire Ratcliffe, a long-standing fan of the 20-times English champions, declared his interest in August but said two months later he was told by the Glazers the Premier League side was not for sale when he contacted the family.

On Tuesday, his company INEOS formally entered the bidding process.

Ratcliffe failed last year in an attempt to buy London club Chelsea, ultimately bought by an investment group led by American Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Ratcliffe's name was widely mentioned among United fans as someone many would welcome, although there are fears he might be priced out with some analyst estimates putting the club's worth at more than $4.5 billion.

MIDDLE EASTERN INVESTORS

United's local rivals Manchester City are bankrolled by the Abu Dhabi United Group, while Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund completed a 300 million pound buyout of Newcastle United in 2021.

Paris St Germain are owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and rumours have swirled that investors from another Gulf country may be keen on buying United.

Bloomberg News reported this week that United, Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool were being targeted by QSI for a potential acquisition.

Spurs, however, said: "there is no truth in reports that a meeting took place regarding the sale of equity in the club".

Saudia Arabia sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal