The process of the Glazer family selling Manchester United arrives at its first major public moment.
Friday is the 'soft' deadline for investors to submit bids to United, with US investment banking firm the Raine Group facilitating the sale - although Red Devil fans will want to have a say in the process after their toxic relationship with the current American incumbents.
The Glazer family have owned United since 2005, after the late patriarch Malcolm Glazer initially bought a stake in 2003. But after years of fan pressure, a failed European Super League conquest, growing debt and a lack of on-field success, they announced their plan to sell up in November last year.
Who do you want to buy Man Utd? Have your say here
Since then United fan, and Britain's richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe became the first party to publically reveal their intentions, with others following.
The Glazers have put a £6billion asking price on the club - who regard themselves as the biggest football club in the world, with an estimated global fan base of 333 million.
Mirror Football has taken a closer look at the four leading contenders - Ratcliffe, Qatari and Saudi Arabian consortiums and Elon Musk.
MAN UTD TAKEOVER CONTENDERS
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
CEO of the INEOS chemicals group, Ratcliffe is Britain's richest man and a lifelong United fan who was born in Manchester. He was unsuccessful in his bid to buy Chelsea and has now declared his formal interest in purchasing United.
Fans would like him to take over, given his status as a United supporter. He is understood to be unwilling to pay £4bn for United.
Qatar-backed consortium
A consortium led by Qatari investors have declared their interest in bidding for United. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani already owns Paris St Germain, through Qatar Sports Investment, with UEFA rules banning multi-club ownership to preserve competitive integrity.
It is understood the United bid – said to be £4.5bn – would come from a separate investment group, to satisfy UEFA.
Saudi Arabia
Although they own Newcastle, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is said to have registered interest in buying United but, just like the Qatar-backed bid with the ownership of PSG, the bid would have to come from a separate investment group, to avoid a conflict of interest and contravention of existing regulations regarding multi-club ownership.
Elon Musk
Tech billionaire Musk, the world's second richest man worth £157bn, is an outsider to take over United. Tesla CEO Musk, who owns Twitter, joked on the social media platform he was buying United, before claiming he was joking, but he does have the financial might to launch a bid, although at the moment, the 51-year-old American is not considered a serious contender.
