The race to buy Manchester United reached a new stage on Wednesday night as the latest deadline in the process came and went.

The Glazer family confirmed back in November a willingness to consider ‘strategic alternatives’ for the club they have owned since 2005, including the possibility of a full takeover.

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe have been the two frontrunners as the only two to go public with full takeover bids. Support for one or the other has been massively divided among fans on social media eagerly awaiting updates.

There is other interest too. However, many are for a minority stake in the club.

Overall, United officials have met with multiple suitors this month. That included a delegation representing Sheikh Jassim, while Ratcliffe personally made the trip to Old Trafford.

90min understands that improved bids from both Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have been submitted, with each in excess of £5bn – such a figure eclipses the current world record paid for a sports team, set when the Denver Broncos were bought for $4.65bn (£3.75bn) last year. The eventual sale price for Chelsea was £2.5bn, with an additional £1.75bn pledged for investment.

Sources have previously confirmed to 90min that the Glazers have been holding out for £6bn.

Ratcliffe said just this week he would not be pressured into paying over the odds.

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“The bid plans to return the Club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more,” a statement issued on his behalf upon his opening bid last month explained.

“The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training centre, the stadium and wider infrastructure, the fan experience and the communities the Club supports.

“The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.”

“We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community,” a statement from INEOS read when Ratcliffe’s initial bid was confirmed.

“We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again.

“We also recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads. We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.

“We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League.”

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On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders and Rob Blanchette discuss why Harry Kane would be a better signing for Man Utd than Napoli marksman Victor Osimhen. If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!

Cristiano Ronaldo has said he feels a ‘better man’ for putting his troubled second spell at Manchester United behind him, describing the ugly saga as a ‘bad’ phase of his career.

Ronaldo made a sensational return to Old Trafford in 2021 and, even though it was a poor season for the club, scored 24 times in all competitions.

But the start of new chapter at United under Erik ten Hag, it soon became clear that the veteran forward wasn’t going to be a focal point. It frustrated him and tensions eventually boiled over, resulting in an inflammatory interview in TalkTV that did irreparable damage to his relationship with Ten Hag and the club – his contract was terminated by mutual consent in November.

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Ronaldo, now 38, has since joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, a move widely criticised when it appeared he was originally angling to join a club in the UEFA Champions League. But he appears to be happy with his decision all the same and is still part of the current Portugal squad.

“Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on your side. I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets. Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth,” Ronaldo said while on international duty.

“When we are at the top of the mountain, we often cannot see what is below. Now, I’m more prepared and learning that was important, because I had never been through this, like in the last few months. Now I’m a better man.”

On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders and Rob Blanchette discuss why Harry Kane would be a better signing for Man Utd than Napoli marksman Victor Osimhen. If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!

France midfield prospect Khephren Thuram has admitted he is aware of the growing interest in him at home and abroad as he prepares to make his international debut for Les Bleus.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United are among the Premier League clubs who have taken a keen interest in the Nice player. But they are not alone in following the 21-year-old, with Paris Saint Germain, Inter and Juventus all tracking him too.

Speaking ahead of this week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Netherlands and Republic of Ireland, Thuram was asked about the clubs on his tail.

“I hear, but I don’t concentrate on it,” Thuram said. “I am with Nice. I am very happy where I am.

“I am trying to get bigger with the club. I am trying to grow up with the club. So, yeah, obviously I hear it [the interest] but it’s not the most important. The most important is to do good with the team and be happy where I am.”

Thuram is set to make his debut for France to follow in the footsteps of brother Marcus and famed father Lillian – although strangely all play in very differeent positions. Lillian was all-action defender, Marcus is an attacker who likes to be on the left, whilst Khephren is defensive midfielder.

He has said he is delighted to be on the brink of his first cap and hopes he will do it with Marcus by his side, telling the Daily Telegraph: “It’s the aim of every soccer player to play for their national team and it would be even bigger, even greater to do that with my brother.”