The five serious bidders to buy Manchester United are told to submit a one-paragraph offer

Those wishing to buy Manchester United will need to submit a single paragraph offer, simply revealing their offer and the percentage of the club they will take, before next Friday.

Proof of funds will also need to be attached on what is considered a historic day in the battle for arguably the world’s biggest football club.

sports mail rrevealed that a group of private Qatari investors will make an offer and they believe theirs will be the strongest offer. Work on that offer is progressing at high speed, it can be disclosed.

Five serious offers are expected to gain control of the club from the Glazer family. They will be made to US commercial bank Raine, which is running the process, and dozens are likely to be on the table in the form of investment rather than outright acquisition.

When the offers are ready, the battle will move to the next stage, which is probably the most intense. Raine will be tasked with narrowing down those who have made offers to a key group of around two or three serious contenders.

The Glazer family is believed to want around £6bn from the sale of Manchester United

However, five serious bidders will present their offers to the club on Friday, which is expected to be a historic day for United.

They will then go head to head in a race to become the preferred bidder. At that stage, full access to United’s finances will be granted, to allow for deep dives.

Those who previously expressed interest have been given access to the ‘data room’, where the agreed figures are stored electronically. They provide a summary of where the club stands financially, rather than an in-depth picture.

If bidders fall short of the Glazers’ valuation, and the Americans are believed to want around £6bn, they could go the investment route. However, those involved are hoping for a sale.

The Qatari group, spun off from Qatar Sports Investments, which owns Paris Saint-Germain, is now stepping up its efforts ahead of bidding and “working around the clock,” according to those familiar with the situation.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man, is the only bidder to have gone public. He is backed by investment banks Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Other offers from the United States are expected, while groups from Asia and Saudi Arabia have also expressed interest.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man, is the only bidder for the club to have gone public.