Qatari investors are set to join the race to buy Manchester United PLC as the mid-February deadline for bids for the Premier League football club approaches.
According to the Daily Mail, a group of private, high-wealth individuals based in the oil-rich state, buoyed by Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup, have set their sights on a club they view as "football’s crown jewels".
They will make an offer for the Red Devils in the coming days, the report said, and are confident their bid will blow the competition out of the water.
United’s owners, the Glazers, are seeking more than £6bn for the club, and there is the prospect of another huge bill to redevelop Old Trafford.
The bid would come from separate, individual Qatari investors removing one potential hurdle given Qatar Sports Investments’ ownership of Paris Saint-Germain.
One entity cannot own two clubs in the same competition and United and PSG could meet in Europe.
There is no interest in taking a partial stake, with only a full-blown takeover being discussed, according to the Mail.
If successful it would mean added spice to the Manchester derby with the city's two clubs owned by opposite sides of the Qatar-Abu Dhabi rivalry.
It would also see Qatari-owned United go up against Saudi-owned Newcastle.
Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of Ineos, has already signalled his interest in the club while bids from US consortiums are also expected.