Manchester United to accept third round bids ahead of potential sale

Manchester United will accept a third round of bids from prospective buyers at the end of the month as the Premier League club’s owners explore a sale, sports industry news site Sportico reported on Tuesday.

Manchester United and Raine Group, the investment bank running the bidding process, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

United’s American owners, the Glazer family, launched a formal sale process late last year, with several bids received in February and March.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, founder of chemicals producer INEOS, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the son of Qatar’s former prime minister, and Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus are among the bidders for the club.

Any sale would likely exceed the biggest sports deal so far, the $5.2 billion including debt and investments paid for Chelsea.

United are the fourth-richest football club in the world, according to Deloitte. They are widely seen as one of the most prized assets in all of sport.