BEFORE THE GAME: Elliott Management set to pay £2bn bill to rebuild Old Trafford

An American hedge fund is willing to provide funding for the redevelopment of Old Trafford, which could cost up to £2bn, if its attempts to buy a majority stake in Manchester United are unsuccessful.

Elliott Management, the former owners of AC Milan, presented a proposal to United bankers Raine Group last Friday, offering financing to buy the club from the Glazers, but would also consider financing the redevelopment of the stadium if the Americans choose to retain control. or sell it to another. party.

Elliott’s offer for United is one of three that have been made public, after Qatari bank chairman Sheik Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe issued statements confirming their offers.

Updating Old Trafford will be a priority for whoever takes it on and, as Sportsmail revealed last month, United have already been presented with various options by architects Populous, ranging from a £1bn redevelopment to building a whole new stadium. for £2 billion.

ITV likely to seal EFL rights

ITV could bring back live domestic league football next year for the first time since ITV Digital’s collapse in 2002, with the broadcaster showing strong interest in bidding for EFL rights from 2024.

One of the 20 rights packages in the invitation to tender due to be issued next week is aimed at free-to-air TV broadcasters, with a live EFL game every weekend on the line, and ITV has shown a higher level of interest than the BBC. until now.

The owner of the cherries looks at Dundalk

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley is considering a bid for League of Ireland side Dundalk, just weeks after taking a 33 percent stake in Ligue 1 club Lorient.

The American businessman is one of three parties showing interest in Dundalk, and Hull City’s Turkish owners Acun Medya are also in talks with the club. Foley is interested in building a multi-club portfolio after paying £150m for Bournemouth and is also targeting teams in South America.

The Royal Naming of the Eton Boy

Reading has offered a professional contract to Eton student Basil Tuma, who is the deputy head of the public school. The 17-year-old winger made his first-team debut in Reading’s League Cup defeat to Stevenage last August, but he hasn’t played since as he is busy studying for his A-Levels.

Tuma also has academic options, having scored 11 A*s in his GCSEs, but Reading is hopeful the Ugandan-born youngster will choose to commit to football.

City snubbed Toure’s FWA appointment

Manchester City turned down a tribute dinner held for Yaya Toure by the Football Writers’ Association last weekend in a sign that the Ivory Coast midfielder’s longstanding feud with Pep Guardiola is not over. Touré has repeatedly apologized to Guardiola for saying the City manager had problems working with African players five years ago, but has received no response.

City booked tables when other players associated with the club such as Patrick Vieira and Vincent Kompany have been honored by the FWA in recent years, but no one from the club attended last Sunday’s event at London’s Landmark Hotel.

Sandgaard faces a £50m lawsuit

Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard is facing a legal claim for up to £50m from a consortium led by former Sunderland manager Charlie Methven. Sandgaard entered exclusive negotiations with a potential buyer, American businessman Marc Spiegel, less than two weeks after dumping the previous potential owners.

Methven’s group had agreed to buy 90 percent of the club for £8.5 million, but Sandgaard pulled out while still in the exclusivity period. The trust is suing Sandgaard for lost potential profits and any new Charlton owners will be named co-defendants, potentially derailing the sale.