The Daily Mail reported that potential acquirers for Manchester United, including Qatar's QIB Group, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain's former richest man, and another anonymous buyer, have all been summoned to Old Trafford for talks over the next two weeks.
BBC reports also confirmed that now that the Manchester United acquisition process has entered the second stage, Manchester United owner Glazer family, club executives and the American Rennes Group responsible for this matter, will hold a summit. Three buyers who had already made an offer were invited to participate.
Of the two consortiums that have announced plans for the acquisition, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani wants full control of the club and has promised to pay off the existing debts of more than £500 million if he becomes owner; Ineos' Ratcliffe, on the other hand, only wants to take Glazer's stake, and he will not empty the club's debt if he becomes the owner.
It is believed that many top figures, including Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold and CFO Cliff Barty, will attend the meeting along with the heads of the New York-based Rennes company. It is unclear whether members of the Glazer family, who own Manchester United, will attend in person.
It is reported that the Glazer family is not satisfied with the offers received so far, with the Qatari consortium, Ratcliff and others not bidding more than £4.5 billion, while the Manchester United boss wants £6 billion.
On the other hand, the relevant offerors are also increasingly disappointed with not being able to fully understand United's financial situation. So if both sides want to reach an agreement, they need to negotiate further.
After the three potential buyers made a bid, they signed a confidentiality agreement and were then able to enter Manchester United's data room, which originally wanted to get a full picture of the club's finances, but the information disclosed in it was not considered to be enough to fully grasp the club's accounts.
For example, they want an independent assessment of Old Trafford and how much it will cost to renovate or rebuild Manchester United's home stadium. At the same time, buyers will need to make a similar report on the Carrington training ground. Previous British media estimates were that the cost of renovation of Old Trafford was estimated to be between £1 billion and £2 billion.
In addition, the Rennes Group, which is responsible for the sale of Manchester United, was surprised by so few bids and that Chelsea, which was responsible for the sale of Abou, attracted as many as 27 buyers last year. One reason is that Glazer is pricing Manchester United so staggeringly that £6 billion is considered highly unrealistic.
Another source analyzed: "There is also a way of thinking because Manchester United is already listed on the New York Stock Exchange. As such, they are regulated by the SEC, which may be seen as a barrier for some investors. The SEC is strict, and you can't mess around with this regulator."
In addition to buying Manchester United's buyers outright, Rennes Group has also invited potential financiers to invest in the club in exchange for a stake in order to gain momentum, but Glazer's progress in selling the club is unlikely to take a leap forward anytime soon.
Avram Glazer, who manages Manchester United, appeared at Wembley last weekend to watch the Carabao Cup final of United's 2-0 win over Newcastle United, with Ten Hag's side finally lifting the trophy and ending a six-year title streak. That sparked speculation that the Glazer family might be trying to retain ownership, although apart from Avram and Joel Glazer, Glazer's other four siblings were seen as lukewarm about United's involvement.