US investment firm Sixth Street are keen on buying a stake in Manchester United.
Sixth Street has been involved in major refinancing projects with European Super League rebels Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The New York firm that has been critical to the financial reorganisation of the two Spanish clubs has accepted an invitation to analyse United's financial performance, along with a number of other interested parties.
The sale process for the Old Trafford club is being handled by American merchant bank Raine Group, which played the same role in the sale of Chelsea last year, and it is primarily US interest that leads the way.
The Glazer family, who've had full control of United since 2005, will consider an investment partner taking a minority stake as well as a full sale. It is understood Sixth Street would not be willing to undertake a full takeover, says the Telegraph.
The scale of Sixth Street's involvement with the big two" of Spanish football, who dominate their domestic game, cannot be overstated. In May last year, Sixth Street agreed a 360m, 20-year deal with Real president Florentino Perez to operate businesses out of the rebuilt Bernabeu Stadium.
At Barcelona, the connection is even stronger: Sixth Street was the financier for the first of the so-called financial levers that the debt-stricken club pulled this year to raise a total of 700m by selling future revenue streams.