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United supportetrs prefer Ratcliffe

The prospective sale of Manchester United reaches its first important juncture at 10pm (UK time) on Friday. That is the “soft” deadline for proposals to be submitted to Raine, the merchant bank handling the process on behalf of the Glazer family.

At this stage, all investors have to do is write down their bid detailing the amount and provide proof of funds. It might just be a two-paragraph email. It is expected that not all interested parties will stake a claim for the full club, with some set to go for smaller percentages.

Others, however, may go for the whole pie. In Doha, much of the talk in certain circles has been of a bid coming from Qatar for the club in full. Other sources with knowledge detect a growing confidence from the Qataris.

As it is the Glazers running this show, there would be nothing to stop them from extending the deadline should the offers fail to meet their aspirations. Raine was targeting a price of £6billion to £7billion ($7.2bn to $8.4bn), and there remains scepticism in the industry about that fee being achieved.

In a poll of Athletic subscribers Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is the only person to publicly declare an interest in buying United, came out on top by a considerable distance. Ratcliffe claimed 66.2 per cent of the vote, with Qatar second on 16.9 per cent.

The prospect of the Glazers clinging on cannot be ruled out. For instance, when Raine first made contact with people in Qatar to propose investment or a takeover, some felt it was a fishing exercise. 

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