Sir Jim Ratcliffe is open to buying a minority stake in Manchester United in an attempt to resolve the future ownership of the club, according to Sky News.
The British billionaire and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani have been looking to complete a full takeover of the Red Devils since the Glazers put it up for sale last November.
However, completing the deal has proven difficult with the sellers and buyers unable to agree on a selling price.
The Glazers want at least £6 billion for Man United, and Ratcliffe is proposing a deal which would see him acquire part of both their shares and the stock publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in equal proportion.
The OGC Nice owner could seek around 25% stake in the Old Trafford club, which could see him spend in the region of £1.5bn.
It remains to be seen whether acquiring a minority stake would give the Billionaire an eventual path to a full takeover of Man United.
The Glazers would almost certainly remain in control if they agree to his current proposal.
While it is not what the fans want, it could be the best way to get the current owners to sell the club going forward as they are not keen on relinquishing ownership right now.
Ratcliffe is still very much interested in completing a full takeover but has pitched a restructured deal as he looks to unblock the ongoing impasse over the future of the club.
The bid from Sheikh Jassim remains on the table, but the Glazers are unlikely to accept it as it does not meet their demands.
They could be open to considering selling a minority stake which would help them with much-needed funding.
The Carrington training base and Theatre of Dreams could both do with a facelift right now, and investment from a minority owner will come in handy.
