Amancio Ortega, the 19th richest man in the world, becomes the latest contender in Manchester United’s bidding war after it was revealed the Glazers were up for sale

Amancio Ortega, founder of the clothing brand Zara, would be interested in buying Manchester United.

Current Red Devils owners The Glazers recently put the club up for sale and some of the wealthiest people in the world have been linked to the takeover.

Now, according to the Manchester Evening News, Ortega has declared his interest in buying the Premier League giants from the club’s bosses.

The 86-year-old – the 19th richest man in the world – is eyeing a £5.8billion deal, and the news will intrigue supporters, who are desperate to see an end to the Glazers’ 17-year reign.

The Spaniard is believed to be worth $61.3 billion [£50.9bn]according to the Forbes Billionaires Rich List.

Owning 59% of the inditex clothing empire, Ortega started in 1975 and recently appointed his daughter, Maria Ortega Perez, as president of Zara.

This week has seen a sea of ​​changes at Old Trafford after it was confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will be leaving Man United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.

And Ortega is expected to face stiff competition to get his hands on the club, with high-profile Apple figures like CEO Tim Cook also reportedly keen.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk jokingly wrote on the platform this summer that he would buy the club, and UFC star Conor McGregor has also expressed interest.

David Beckham and even Sir Jim Ratcliffe have also been linked with the takeover.

Any deal for United is likely to exceed the £4.25bn fee paid by Todd Boehly to buy Chelsea this year.