Tesla & Twitter mogul Elon Musk monitoring Man Utd ahead of deadline for takeover bids with £157 billion in his bank account

• Tech billionaire keeping an eye on Old Trafford
• Several interested parties from around the world
• Glazers want any offers in by end of the week

WHAT HAPPENED? The tech-billionaire, who boasts an estimated personal fortune of £157 billion ($190bn), is said to be keeping an eye on events at Old Trafford ahead of a deadline for bids that has been set by the Glazer family for Friday, February 17. There has been no official word from the Musk camp regarding his supposed interest in a possible deal for the Premier League heavyweights, but the Daily Mail claim that he is keen.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: It is suggested that “dozens” of interested parties have entered into confidentiality agreements that allow them to gain access to the “data room” of information regarding a potential takeover of United. Groups from Saudi Arabia and America are among those said to be in the mix, while there is also strong interest in Qatar.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Musk has hinted in the past that he would like to buy United, stating on Twitter in August 2022 amid protests against the Glazers that he was “buying Manchester United ur welcome”. Said comments were made in jest, but the 51-year-old South Africa-born business magnate later added: “Although, if it were any team, it would be Man U. They were my fav team as a kid.”

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WHAT NEXT? Sir Jim Ratcliffe – Britain’s richest man and a boyhood United supporter – is another of those looking into a deal for the Red Devils, with it possible that one of the biggest institutions in world sport could soon be changing hands.