Battle to buy Manchester United heats up as activist investor Elliott jumps in at the last minute

Battle to buy Manchester United heats up as activist investor Elliott jumps in at the last minute

US hedge fund Elliott has offered to finance bids for Manchester United.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani are battling for control of the club.

It's still unclear which bid Elliott will be involved in, per Reuters.

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US hedge fund Elliott Management has offered to finance bids for Manchester United, wading into an ongoing takeover battle between the UK's second-richest man and the son of Qatar's former prime minister.

The activist investor isn't seeking to buy the soccer giant outright but could take a minority stake in the club or provide debt funding. according to reports that cited people familiar with the matter.

Reuters and The Times first broke news of Elliott's involvement Saturday, one day after a deadline for bids set by United's American owners.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's chemical manufacturing firm Ineos Group and Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani are both trying to buy the football club.

Ratcliffe is the UK's second-wealthiest person, with a net worth of $13.6 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

He was born in Oldham, a town located 7 miles