Elon Musk is considering buying Manchester United

Here we go.

Elon Musk is reportedly monitoring the ongoing ownership situation at Manchester United and could consider making a bid to buy the club. As revealed by the Daily Mail, Musk is one of the few people who could genuinely afford to buy United but would face a race against time to show his interest with Friday (February 17) being the deadline for bids to be submitted. A number of parties have reportedly registered their interest from around the world but none would likely compare to the stature of Musk. In August last year, the second-richest man in the world (according to Forbes) jokingly tweeted that he was going to buy the Red Devils, sending everyone into a frenzy. He later confirmed that he wasn't being serious however didn't entirely rule out the prospect of a future bid, saying: "If it were any team, it would be Man U. They were my fav team as a kid." There are up to five 'serious' bidders said to be still in the race to buy the club after the Glazer family announced in November that they would be looking for 'strategic alternatives' for the Red Devils, and were open to either a partial, or full, sale of the club. Five different suitors have put themselves forward so far, the first of those being Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Meanwhile the Daily Mail reported earlier this week that Qatari investors were preparing a bid in a matter of days. The Guardian added that the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, is a leading figure behind the proposed plans. However The Athletic have claimed that Qatar are expecting a consortium from Saudi Arabia to come in and rival their bid. Two US investors are also rumoured to be in the running. Related links:

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• Man United: Five serious bidders are identified as deadline approaches