With the second deadline welcoming bids for Manchester United in the past, there has been confusion as to whether leading buyers Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani have revised and placed improved offers for the club.
The initial news and noise was that both had made improved bids, even that the Qatari outfit had put in a world record bid, exceeding the current record of £3.75bn that was set when the Denver Broncos were sold last summer.
However as more information has come in, word has contrastingly stated that the firm handling the sale of Man United, Raine Group, have not received renewed bids for the club, with both bidders independently asking for an extension, which has been granted.
Whilst the confusion and tension heightens in the race for Man United, let's take a look at what we do know and what both have proposed with regards to the takeover of the club.
Majority Shareholding - 69%
Ratcliffe known as one of the richest men in the UK, born in Manchester, is recognised as a long time Man United fan and has declared on multiple occasions of his desire to own the club.
It is understood Ratcliffe is looking to buy the club through his petrochemicals firm, Ineos, who are no strangers investing in sport.
The Brit already owns Ligue 1 club Nice, as well as Swiss side Lausanne, whilst maintaining a long time partnership with Mercedes F1 team, so it may ease some concerns that the firm have already a taste in the world of football and sport.
Whilst concerns groaned by Man United fans about the fact Ratcliffe and Ineos group declared interest in only "majority ownership" may be put to rest, with it being understood that the firm would want to take control of the Glazers' complete stake that they hold in the club.
Of course the sheer size of Man United makes this proposal a whole different beast, nonetheless, the experience of owning a football team could be valuable asset if Ratcliffe's bid were to be accepted.
"Want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again."
"Deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for modern, progressive, fan centred approach to ownership."
With clarity that Ratcliffe has passion for the club, the first statement above makes sense, but the second statement could make a real difference, showing his long-term vision, as well as his aim to make Man United a force on and off the pitch.
,Complete Shareholding - 100%
Sheikh Jassim has described himself as a lifelong fan of the Red Devil's and unlike Ratcliffe, has declared interest taking complete and full control of the football club.
Crucially, Sheikh Jassim mentioned in his initial statement that the takeover would be completely debt free via his Nine Two foundation.
Whilst debt has been one of the various issues and concerns groaned across the Man United fan base throughout the duration of the Glazer family tenure, a bid completely void of added debt would be a refreshing welcome.
Sheikh Jassim is the owner of Qatari bank QIB and the son of a former priminister of Qatar, but it is understood the neither he or his Qatari consortium have experience investing in sport, unlike Ratcliffe.
"Plans to return the club to its former glory, both on and off the pitch."
"Will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure."
"The vision of the bid is for Manchester United football club to be renowned for footballing excellence."
With the offer from the Qatari consortium intriguing, obvious concerns have been raised by human rights group Fair Square, as well as others.
But as seen by Sheikh Mansour's takeover of Manchester City, and the takeover of Newcastle United by a consortium of the Saudi Public Investment Fund in 2021, the risk may well be worth it, even if there is backlash.
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What's next
Following the second deadline at 21:00 GMT on Wednesday night, it is known that there are other bids that have come in for the club, with the number reportedly rising to at least eight.
Meanwhile frontrunners Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim are still understood to place new and improved bids for the club, despite missing the deadline.
Both groups are expected to smash the world record for a sports team, with bids that most likely will exceed £5bn. Although both bidders have not yet been informed of the new deadline, these next weeks may well likely prove to be a critical period in the race for Man United, with fans keeping their fingers crossed that the Glazer's will be gone for good.
