Manchester United owners the Glazers are demanding a world record fee for the club.
The Glazers, who put United up for sale on Tuesday, want as much as £8billion, dwarfing the £4bn fee agreed for NFL team the Denver Broncos - the world record for a sports franchise.
The figure demanded by the Glazers would also eclipse the £2.5bn Todd Boehly paid for Chelsea, which included an additional £1.75bn for further investments to benefit the club. Having bought United for £790m back in 2005, the Glazers - who saddled the club with debt to facilitate the takeover - will make a mammoth profit if their asking price is met.