Those bidding to buy Manchester United will have until 9pm on Wednesday to officially submit their offers.
United chiefs are said to be braced for as many as eight bids, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani still the leading two parties to succeed the unpopular Glazer family at Old Trafford. The Qatari Sheikh sent a delegation to Manchester last Thursday to hold detailed talks with club officials before Ratcliffe made the journey with his entourage on Friday and did the same.
But, according to Sky Sports, up to six new parties could enter the running before Wednesday's deadline posed by Raine, the merchant bank running the sale process on the Glazers' behalf. Representatives for US hedge Elliott Management have also visited Old Trafford after making a proposal to finance a potential takeover or supplement the current ownership, with the American family continuing to weigh up whether to sanction a full sale or continue their much-maligned 18-year reign through minority investment.
Al Thani, a cash-rich banker and the son of a former Qatari prime minister, has been labelled the favourite for a full takeover and is expected to make a second offer after his initial bid was worth at least £4.5billion. Oldham-born billionaire Ratcliffe, who met United manager Erik ten Hag during his visit to the club's Carrington training complex last week, is line to follow with a fresh offer of his own through chemical company INEOS before what the Telegraph report is a 9pm GMT deadline.
The Glazers, it has been claimed, are holding out for closer towards £6bn, and Ratcliffe has already made it clear that he won't pay "stupid" money for the club who he grew up supporting. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, the INEOS founder and chief executive was asked about his takeover ploy.
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"How do you decide the price of a painting? How do you decide the price of a house? It's not related to how much it cost to build or how much it cost to paint," Ratcliffe replied. "What you don't want to do is pay stupid prices for things because then you regret it subsequently."
The 70-year-old mogul, who attended United's famous 1999 Champions League final win in Barcelona, noted the difference between his pursuit of United and INEOS' other investments. "That in a sense goes without saying, because sport is emotional," Ratcliffe explained.
Adding that he views the club as a "community asset" rather than a financial one, Ratcliffe - who also owns French club Nice - affirmed: "Our interest in that club would be purely in winning things."
Sheikh Jassim, meanwhile, remains fully committed to his attempts of a full takeover and wants to purchase 100 per cent of the club. That's in contrast to Ratcliffe and INEOS' strategy, as they are reported to only be interested in acquiring the Glazers' 69 per cent share which the Americans have boasted since 2005.
"The bid plans to return the club to its former glories both on and off the pitch and - above all - will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more," a statement on behalf of Al Thani's bid said.
"The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience, and communities the club supports.
"The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world. More details of the bid will be released, when appropriate, if and when the bid process develops."
