US billionaire's son targets Man U

JOEL Glazer, the 35-year-old son of American billionaire Malcolm Glazer, has emerged as the driving force behind a £100m, 14.3% stake in Manchester United.

As disclosed in the London Evening Standard on Friday, a Glazer family trust was today officially confirmed as the 'mystery' buyer last week of 11.8m shares at 265p, way above the prevailing market price.

It can now be revealed that the 10-month stake building by the 'Malcolm I Glazer Family Limited Partnership' is the plan of Joel Glazer, a soccer-mad executive of US gridiron football team Tampa Bay Buccaneers and son of their owner, 75-year-old Malcolm.

Despite weeks of rebuffs to Man U chairman Sir Roy Gardner, the Glazers finally met United's chief executive David Gill and finance director Nick Humby in the US last week.

Present at the meeting were Malcolm's eldest son Avram 'Arvie' Glazer, 42, who runs the family's major commercial interest Zapata, and Joel. A source close to United confirmed it is Joel whose interest is driving the stake building.

Six raids on United's stock have seen the Glazers spend nearly £80m. Recent top ups - in direct response to the 23.1% stake built up by Irish horseracing tycoons John Magnier and JP McManus - have seen the shares soar and deliver an already healthy profit.

Gill denied the Glazers are plotting a takeover. 'They said we are good investment, full stop,' he said.