US sports tycoon Mr Malcolm Glazer raised his stake in Manchester United yesterday, heightening speculation he was planning a bid for one of the world's richest football clubs.
Mr Glazer, owner of American football team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said in a statement he had bought a further one million shares in the club at 265p each, raising his stake to 16.69 per cent from 16.3 per cent.
Last week, Mr Glazer, the club's second-largest shareholder, said he was keeping his options open over his Manchester United stake.
Manchester United shares have doubled in the past year, partly on persistent bid speculation valuing the club at around £700 million sterling (€1.05 billion).
If Mr Glazer decides to bid, a key issue will be the reaction of the club's biggest investors, Irish racehorse owners Mr John Magnier and Mr JP McManus, who this month raised their stake to 28.9 per cent, near the 30 per cent level at which they would have to make a full takeover offer.
Sources close to Mr Magnier and Mr McManus, who have questioned the club's player-transfer policy, have declined to say whether they might be drawn into a bid.
