Manchester United takeover: EIGHT groups of prospective buyers in talks including Qatari bidders and Sir Jim Ratcliffe

• Up to eight potential bidders in talks
• Two more groups could be interested in full takeover
• Insiders confident of a deal by late April

WHAT HAPPENED? That includes the two groups that made their bids public back in February, lead by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe respectively. Both are the only two parties that disclosed public interest in securing a total buyout of the Glazers' Class B shares, although The Telegraph writes that up to two more groups could be interested in buying the club in its entirety.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: The report continues that representatives of both the Qatari and Ratcliffe bids will be in attendance at Old Trafford for as many as three more meetings this week, as United executives explain the "opportunities and challenges" of running the club. At least four of the prospective bidders are not thought to be interested in a full takeover, such as U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Amid a busy schedule of meetings this week, both the Qataris and Ratcliffe were offered a boost in their approaches by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. Ratcliffe's Ineos group owns Nice, while concerns have been raised over the relationship with Sheikh Jassimi and Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain. Speaking to Gary Neville's The Overlap earlier on Wednesday, Ceferin said "he would see" about altering current regulations regarding dual-ownership of two clubs competing in the Champions League.

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QIB

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WHAT NEXT? The Telegraph reports that insiders in the process are confident about a deal being reached between the Glazers and any of the prospective eight bidders by late April, despite the fact that the bids of Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe in particular are thought to fall short of their £5 billion ($6bn) valuation.