The deadline for the second round of bidders in the race to takeover Manchester United football club has officially passed, with multiple world record offers reportedly on the verge of being submitted.
Following the first round of bids, which saw a Qatar investment group headed up by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe both put in their initial offers, Manchester United set a second deadline of 9pm on 22 March for them to increase their offers and welcome other offers.
While the opening bids matched each other at £4.5 billion, working with financial advisors Raine Group who are brokering in the deal from the US, neither reached the Glazer family ownership’s estimations, who value the club closer to £6bn.
As a result, both went on to carry out further negotiations — each visiting Old Trafford last Friday and staying for upwards of six hours (more than 10 in the case of the Qataris) — but it is now thought they may no longer be the only parties involved in the bidding war. Whether it will be in time is the issue.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos have not submitted their bid for Manchester United before the 9pm deadline pic.twitter.com/XTc0rVKAn2
Kaveh Solhekol trying to clear up the confusion over Qatar and Jim Ratcliffe’s United bids.
Despite earlier reports that Sheikh Jassim and his associates had submitted a “world record offer” before the Glazers and Raine Group’s 9pm deadline (5pm New York time), Sky Sports‘ Kaveh Solhekol has now clarified that the bid was not submitted in time and that they have asked for an extension.
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Man United are said to have agreed to the extension and Sheikh Jassim still remains confident that they have the “best bid” of the bunch.
Moreover, as per the likes of Mike Keegan, Jim Ratcliffe was also set to enter his second bid, with both offers said to have increased to around the £5bn mark. However, the INEOS chief exec is also said to have failed to meet the deadline and been granted an extension, according to a senior source.
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Kaveh also went on to detail that multiple other offers have in fact been submitted, with the numbers said to be “approaching eight” different bidders.
Many bids have gone in for #mufc this evening, approaching eight [@SkyKaveh]
Any bid of more than £3.75bn would break the world record fee for a sports club set when the Denver Broncos were sold last summer.
As for the frontrunners, both offers are still around a billion short of the Glazer’s asking price and not only have Sheikh Jassim and co. already warned they will ‘walk away’ if the price is too high, but it’s unclear how far Ratcliffe’s wealth can stretch if he is to continue pursuing a deal.
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The key difference between the two bids is that Qatar’s bid will apparently make the club debt-free given the sheer mass of state wealth behind them, whereas the Failsworth-born businessman’s financing may be more complex to put together.
Trying to clear up the confusion, The Times‘ Matt Lawton said on Twitter that “both Qatari and INEOS representatives said their bids were in, United sources [are] saying they haven’t yet bid and have asked for an extension”, with offers now set to be made by tomorrow.
As reported by Sky Sports earlier this week, it was thought that “at least five other bidders” and as many as eight in question could join the race along with Ratcliffe and Qatar, who were the only two parties to have submitted an official offer for United during the first round of bidding.
However, a detailed list of the other candidates and precisely how many are still yet to be confirmed; Kaveh did go on to suggest that some could simply be a form of “hot air” designed to hopefully urge the ‘serious bidders’ to edge their offers up even higher.
As for next steps, neither of the parties in the supposed two-horse race expect an immediate decision from the board, especially after the unexpected delay, and those who submitted new offers in the second round of bidding will have to wait at least seven days to hear back from the club and brokers Raine Group regarding their progress.
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However, it is worth noting that these subsequent bids may not necessarily be attempts to buy the club outright and not only is there a feeling that a third round of negotiations could take place, but there is also a growing sense that the Glazers could still pull out of a potential buyout altogether.
Louie Barry returns to Stockport County for a third loan spell
Danny Jones
One of the most popular Stockport County stars, whether that be a permanent player or a loan signing, has returned to the club by popular demand: Hatters, rejoice, because Louie Barry is back at Edgeley Park.
In one of the most heavily rumoured January transfer deals of this window, Aston Villa youngster academy product Louie Barry has been confirmed for a third County stint, getting reacquainted with Stockport on deadline day.
Having come through not only Barcelona’s famous ‘La Masia’ system, but West Brom’s youth setup and then Aston Villa, his most successful spells of senior football have come at the Greater Manchester club.
Parent club Villa recalled him only to send the youth prospect back out on two other lacklustre loans (much to the disappointment of County supporters), but now he’s going back to well, and is hopefully set for a return to form. Unveiled in a dramatic video at the local Plaza Theatre, fans are already buzzing.
Who doesn’t love a bit of old-fashioned paegantry, eh?
Still just 22 years old, Louie Barry remains highly rated by his foremost employers, but has had few opportunities to try and impress his parent club.
Barring a handful of cup appearances, the Sutton-born attacking midfielder – often deployed as a winger during his two previous terms – the majority of his professional minutes have been with County.
His second visit to the then-League Two side was even better than his first, and all told, he scored 25 goals in 45 games, not to mention more than a dozen assists across his appearances off the bench and an increasing number of starts as he became an increasing talisman in the team.
Unfortunately, one thing that has been consistent throughout his professional career thus far is struggles with injuries, which have certainly derailed his last two loan deals to Hull City and Sheffield United.
It remains to be seen whether he is at the level of the Championship or beyond, but with the now third-tier outfit currently chasing promotion, this may prove to be the perfect test.
Should be able to stay fit, it goes without saying that he’ll quickly knit back into the first-team squad, and with fellow fan favourite Isaac ‘Tanto’ Olaofe having also been re-signed on a half-season loan deal, it’s been a popular period of recruitment overall.
Pair these deals with the signing of Adama Sidibeh, and suddenly, manager Dave Challinor has some real strength in depth when it comes to offensive options.
What do you make of the acquisition, Hatters? Will three prove to be the magic number, and could another promising visit to SK3 be the start of a potential permanent deal somewhere down the line?
You can see Louie Barry’s first full interview back as a Stockport County player down below.
Barry is aiming to be back fit soon, though it’s unclear if there is an option to buy in the contract.
Featured Images — Stockport County (via club website/YouTube screenshot)
Sport
Where to watch the 2026 Six Nations in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
It’s that time again, the Six Nations is just around the corner, and we can practically taste the Guinness already — that being said, we thought it only right to put together a list of where to watch it and enjoy those pints.
With the tournament kicking off on Thursday, 5 February, we don’t want you scrambling around to find places showing the Six Nations in Manchester; we just want you to sit back and enjoy the games.
So, without further ado, here is our list of the 16 places to watch this year’s Six Nations here in Manchester city centre.
Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.
The best places to watch this year’s Six Nations in Manchester
Speaking of Guinness, as far as Manchester Irish bars go, there’s a very strong argument to be made that there isn’t any better than Mulligans.
A go-to for sports fans and punters in general, not to mention Guinness’ second home in Manchester, this traditional Irish pub, sandwiched just across the road from Spinningfields, will be showing the games and promising live music every night. It’s always good craic in here.
You don’t book here – you just keep your fingers crossed for a table, but now with the added floor upstairs, you’ve got a better chance than ever.
Back once again following the biggest in the whole country, Freight Island are teaming up with Jubel JUBEL Beer to bring another massive fan zone to Depot Mayfield – the question is, will it be even better vibes than last time around?
They’ve done this for a few years now, and certainly it’s always got bigger, and not only more extensive packages available to book, but plenty of room for walk-ins across the multiple rooms, the big warehouse might just be the perfect spot.
Best of all, general admission is completely free, meaning no one has to miss out on the action.
3. Tib Street Tavern – Northern Quarter
No list of Manchester sports bars would be complete without Tib Street Tavern, one of the most popular in NQ or the city centre in general, for that matter.
With recently refurbished booths for you and all your mates to pile into, massive screens filling the walls and solid grub, this place is packed out noon till night, so you’d best book whilst you still can.
You can call them up on 0161 834 1600 for bookings of six or more, but you can still try for a walk-in.
One of the biggest, best and busiest sports bars on this list, BOX on Deansgate brings a real sense of the American sports bar culture with shuffleboard, giant steins of booze, banging food and TV on every wall — including a big 360-jumbotron screen so nobody misses a second.
With all that in mind, it makes for the perfect place for all fans to come along and watch the Six Nations.
Next up, another Irish bar and a chain that still somehow feels like it’s one of ours, even though we know full well that it isn’t. Nevertheless, we love a trip to O’Neills in the Printworks, especially when there’s live sports on the box.
You don’t have to be a Celtic native, ex-pat or Ireland fan to watch the game here, of course, just bring a healthy dose of positivity and a willingness to drink plenty of good Guinness.
See you at the bar, I guess, but we don’t want to hear any lazy attempts at an Irish accent like we did last year (yes, really – it was painful).
Once again, whether you bleed green and gold or not, it doesn’t matter: Kiely’s is a prime location not only to watch the Six Nations in Manchester, but for any live sport and for a solid pint of the black stuff, for that matter.
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Yet another place for Guinness lovers and showing live sport all week-round before the rowdy live music kicks off in the evenings, we’ve spent many a night in here and can heartily recommend it for the rugby and good vibes in general.
We can’t think of many better places for a tipsy sing-song after the game than here; to be honest, you can’t go wrong with pretty much any Irish bar, so here:
For number seven, what better place to slot in than the seven screens over at The Seven Oaks? Tucked away on Nicholas Street just off Mosley St and round the corner from Chinatown, this place is great for watching all manner of sports, so of course they’re showing the Six Nations as well.
This place is always packed with plenty of regulars on matchdays and is even the local for the Northern Spurs fans, and even the Manchester branch of St Pauli Supporters Club from Germany. It’s also known for serving bartenders till late.
One of Manchester longest standing free-house sports bars, having first opened its doors all the way back in 1824, it’s known for having some of the friendliest pub staff you’ll find anywhere in town, as well as now hosting regular live stand-up, music and even the odd theatre production these days. Give it a go.
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8. The Waldorf – Piccadilly
Now, if you’re looking for something right next to the station so you don’t have to walk far for your first pint or, equally, can make a quick exit if the result doesn’t go your way, The Waldorf is the one for you.
Spanning across two floors, with the upstairs not just home to MCFC’s supporters ‘The Cityzen Arms’ but also regularly dedicated to big rugby fan bookings, you’ll catch many a face watching the sport here most weekends.
Again, it fills up quickly, so bag yourself a table while you can HERE.
Located just off Oxford Road Corridor, Brickhouse Social continues to cater to sports fans in the city centre, and its fan zones come tournament time just keep getting bigger and better.
With three floors, including a rooftop terrace, solid slices of pizza up for grabs and plenty of pool tables to keep you busy in between the ruck, this place has everything you need.
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Boasting a total of 12 screens and a state-of-the-art sound system for live entertainment and the club nights downstairs in Kable, this might be one of the best places for atmosphere in Manchester when it comes to summer sports. Book your table at [email protected] or on 0161 236 4899.
Another all-time classic Manchester sports bar, The Directors’ Box, just off St Peter’s Square in the city centre, has plenty of pints and an absolutely mint menu full of sharing platters perfect for watching the game with your mates.
We’ll be straight with you, it isn’t the biggest place for the amount of people that try and get in — it’s a local favourite for a reason — so we’d advise you book your Six Nations table now if you can.
No one likes being the one who suggested a place only to not get in. Trust us, we’ve been that person far too many times – the worst.
We’ve already had a couple of Irish bars on the list, what harm could another do? Third time’s the charm, as they say.
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Mulligans, Kiely’s and O’Sheas: the holy trinity of Manc Irish pubs and just like the other two, this boozer on the corner of Princess Street has a brilliant atmosphere, especially when the rugby’s on.
With great Guinness, classic Irish snacks like Taytos, a solid food menu and live music most nights, what more could you ask for? To be honest, at this point, we might as well just give all the places decked out in green – you won’t go far wrong with any the many mint Irish bars in Manchester.
Not a bad place to go Walkabout… See what we did there?
In all seriousness, the massive pub, club and local nightlife institution has plenty of food, pints and screens to cater to the hordes of punters, and it’s one of the last proper holdouts of Printworks classic lineup following the unfortunate closure of Bierkeller and Shooters (RIP).
Better still, with its Australian roots, there’s a real love for rugby in here, whether you’re a Wallabies, England fan or otherwise. Book your place HERE.
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Credit: The Manc Group
13. The Grosvenor – Oxford Road Corridor (formerly The Footage)
Another student favourite and budget-friendly venue, we spent many a uni day watching live sport in The Footage, and we have to say, no matter how many years and tournaments have gone by, there’s nothing quite like a fever-pitch rugby crowd in this place.
It might have changed name after a short hiatus from the busy student strip, but the prices in here are still great, and it’s looking bigger and better than ever. Big tellies, pool tables, beer pong – they’ve got you sorted from noon until night.
You can, of cours,e book a table if you want to secure the perfect spot, but this place always has plenty of rooms to try your luck with a walk-in.
The penultimate round on this fixture list, not only is this one of the cheapest places for a night in town, possibly the country, but it’s yet another prime location to watch the sport.
It might be very student-heavy most nights of the week, but with a large interior, huge outdoor area with coverage, as well as plenty of value for money grub and bevs up for grabs, you can’t go wrong with the old stomping grounds.
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You are never—we repeat, never too old for Courtyar,d and it NEVER disappoints when the game is on.
‘The Brotherhood of Pastimes and Pursuits’ is another tried and tested favourite come any matchday, and the team over there does a great job of building a proper atmosphere across their two floors. You can tell how much they love sports from the original posters they create for each tournament alone.
It’s a great post-work spot any day of the week, let alone when there are big events on like this. Food, pints, pool, table tennis and more. 10/10, no notes from us.
Not a bad place to love you and leave you to enjoy the Six Nations this year. Walk-ins are welcome, but you’re best reserving your table HERE.
So, if you’re still wondering where to watch the 2026 Six Nations in Manchester, that should be plenty of options for now. It’s one of the biggest competitions on the sporting calendar, and we don’t plan on missing a single second.
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It may still be a bit nippy this time of year, but we’ve never been ones to let the weather put us off going out and having a good time.
Danny Jones -
22nd March 2023 
