US hedge fund Elliott Management, which owned AC Milan until last October, has submitted a bid to purchase a minority stake in the Red Devils, according to Sky Sports. The offer from Elliott, which has also offered to finance other bids, comes after reports that the Raine group organising the sale agreed to extend the deadline for the second round of offers. The original deadline was 9pm on Wednesday.

Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and petrochemicals firm INEOS have announced their intentions to buy United, although the Glazer family have not ruled out staying on if they can seal third-party investment.

The offer from Elliott now makes that scenario more likely, and Sky Sports has reportedly been informed the Glazers do wish to sell the club. A source for Sheikh Jassim said the Qatari was "fully engaged and confident in his bid. We believe it’s the best bid for the club, fans and local community".