With Friday’s “soft” deadline for proposals arriving at 5 p.m. ET, speculation is rampant over who could take over Manchester United.
Interested parties will only need to detail the amount of their bid and provide proof of funds — whether that’s for an entire takeover or a smaller stake.
Saudi Arabia has reportedly submitted a bid for the Premier League icons, with several private groups from Riyadh making formal inquiries.
Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani confirmed his bid for a full takeover of the club on Friday. Bloomberg previously reported Qatari investors were set for an opening bid of $6 billion, which would be a record price tag for a sports team.
The bid from Qatar will carry no debt.
British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s company INEOS previously announced plans to bid for the club with the help of Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Investors from the U.S. are also reportedly interested.
The Glazer family, which bought the club in 2005 for $942 million, hired the Raine Group in November to explore a full or partial sale. Recent reports suggest the family wants to secure a partner investor rather than sell in full.
As of May, the club was the world’s third-most valuable soccer club at $4.6 billion, per Forbes.
