NYSE bell marks deadline as Qatari Sheikh makes bid for Manchester United

A Qatar-based bid for Manchester United was confirmed on Friday, with Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani promising to rid the iconic soccer team of debt and return it to former glories. Sheikh Jassim is the chairman of QIB, which is one of Qatar's leading banks, and has submitted a 100% offer to buy out current owners the Glazer family.

Friday is the final day for serious contenders to step forward in the race to buy United. The price is now estimated to reach as high as $6 billion, with reported interest from Saudi Arabia seeing its value rise sharply as the deadline for bids approaches. Along with Qatar and reported interest from Saudi Arabia, rumours persist that Elon Musk could be among a list of potential buyers from the United States.