Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group have submitted their final bids for Manchester United, BBC Sport has been told. The two main parties looking to take control of the club have now presented their offers to the Glazer family, who own the club, and will assess their position after the latest bid deadline passed at 22:00 BST on Friday. Sheikh Jassim’s offer is reportedly around £5bn and includes one figure that would go direct to the sellers, as well as plans to make a significant amount of additional capital and infrastructure investment into the club. The third bid deadline only applied to potential buyers of the whole club, not investment vehicles such as US-based Elliott and Carlyle, who are only willing to purchase a minority stake. Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus has previously lodged bids but would not submit a fresh offer.
The Glazers announced in November that the board had “authorised a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives”, including selling the club, and investment bank the Raine Group was brought in to oversee the process. After a deadline for expressions of interest in February and a second deadline last month, Friday marked a third deadline for bids. It is believed that the situation will be resolved before the transfer window opens at the end of the season. There have also been suggestions this week that Ineos could restructure its offer, which initially was for the Glazer family’s combined 69% stake, in a way that could allow co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer to retain their personal shareholding. This move has been attacked by the ‘1958’ fans group, who have demanded ‘Full Sale Only’ and have been critical of the potential involvement of Elliott and Carlyle.