Saudi Arabia has joined the race to buy Manchester United ahead of Friday’s nominal deadline, according to a report in Britain’s Daily Telegraph, raising the stakes in what could be the most lucrative deal in sports history.

The American Glazer family, who completed their takeover of the 20-times English champions in 2005, announced in November that they were open to a sale or investment.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos company officially joined the race to buy the club last month — the only bidder to publicly declare an interest so far.

There have, however, been numerous suggestions of a possible Qatar bid, with The Guardian reporting the state’s ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, was interested in buying United, just weeks after the energy-rich Gulf nation hosted the World Cup.

But with United’s shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, brokers acting for the club will be obliged to consider offers even after Friday’s ‘soft’ deadline expires. 

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