Who is in the running to buy Manchester United from the Glazers?

There are several names circulating in the media as to who might be in the running to buy Manchester United, but so far only one name has officially confirmed their interest.

The deadline for potential buyers to submit their bid is Friday 17 February.

There may be a late flurry of bids for the club, as there was when Chelsea went up for sale last year.

Jim Ratcliffe

English billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has confirmed his interest in buying Manchester United.

He is one of Britain's richest men with an estimated net worth of £23.4 billion.

The Manchester United supporter is a big sports fan, and is already involved with a number of different sports clubs. 

He initially expressed an interest in buying Manchester United in August 2022 but was turned down.

Now, a spokesperson for Ineos has said: "We can confirm that the statement in The Times is correct. We have formally put ourselves into the process."

Elon Musk

It has been reported that Elon Musk has considered putting in a bid before the deadline, with a figure quoted of £4.5 billion.

Musk says he grew up in South Africa as a United fan.

He has previously tweeted saying that he would buy the club, but later clarified that this was a joke.

David Beckham

The Daily Telegraph reported that Beckham had been approached by Qatar to sound out his interest of backing their bid for the Red Devils.

Beckham is currently an ambassador for the country and has extended that role since the 2022 World Cup.

He is believed to have turned down this approach, as he already owns his own club - Inter Miami in the United States.

The state of Qatar already own French club PSG, who Beckham used to play for.

Reports started to emerge of Qatari interest in the club last week. The Daily Mail reported a Qatar-based consortium was interested in a full buyout.

The Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund with assets estimated at more than £370billion, has since been linked with a full buyout in other reports, something denied by multiple sources.

Should a Qatari bid be put forward, it is likely to come from a private fund.

Reports of Qatari interest have been criticised by Amnesty International.

Peter Frankental, the human rights group’s UK economic affairs director, said last week any Qatari buyout would be a “continuation of (Qatar’s) state-backed sportswashing project”.

Amnesty and other groups have criticised Qatar over its treatment of migrant workers and its criminalisation of same-sex relationships.

Saudi Arabia

A bid from Saudi investor is expected, but not through PIF - who own a majority share of Newcastle United.

Last November, the country’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal told the BBC that the government would support any Saudi private sector bids for United or Liverpool.

How much would the club cost?

The Glazers are rumoured to value United at around £5-6 billion. Although they may not receive this full valuation from a potential buyer - with the New York Stock Exchange valuing the club at around £2.9-3.2 billion.

Chelsea was bought for £4.25 billion by Todd Bohely last year.

What impact would a new owner have?

It's not known when a potential deal could go through, but it could give a greater volume of funds immediately available to Erik Ten Hag to improve his squad.

It may also provide as a reset to lighten some toxicity surrounding ownership of the club that has engulfed the Glazer family.

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