Businessman Jim Ratcliffe is close to buying Manchester United shares for £4bn, according to journalist Marco Conterio.
The 70-year-old functionary is one of the richest people in the UK, he is the owner of the French club "Nice" and the chief executive officer of the chemical group INEOS, which he founded in 1998.
The Glazer family, who now own Manchester United, officially announced the start of the process of selling the club a few months ago.
Malcolm Glaser purchased shares in the Mancunian team in 2005, and after his death in 2006, his sons took over.
