Mark Goldbridge doesn't want the Elliott Investment Group to be buying Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Competition is starting to emerge

It looked as though the two likely frontrunners to buy Man United were Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim, but an American hedge fund group has recently surfaced and been put through to the second phase.

Elliott Investment Management is now directly competing with the other two groups and any other interested parties that aren't yet in the media domain to buy the Red Devils.

However, it has been reported that they are willing to do the takeover in a different way to the other two groups, as they're willing to offer equity investment or help to rebuild and develop Old Trafford.

The Latest: Elliott Investment is not what Man United need

While speaking on The United Stand YouTube channel, Goldbridge has labelled this latest interest from the Elliott Group as a 'nightmare situation' for Man United fans.

He said: "It's almost a case of the good, the bad and the ugly, here - and I'm not talking about the Glazers. I'm talking about the situation that we're in. The Elliott Group really do concern me.

"[Journalist] Simon Stone has mentioned that they don't want to buy Manchester United; what they're looking for is equity investment or help to rebuild the stadium. Both of these situations are investments. We'll talk about what that investment is, but for me, it's a nightmare situation for Manchester United."

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The Verdict: Could be deja vu all over again

The fact that the Elliott Group is looking to buy the club via equity investment should set alarm bells ringing for Man United fans, as that is essentially what the Glazers have been doing for the past 17 years.

Therefore, they should be pushing against this and making their voices heard about how this and any other potential hedge fund groups should not be allowed to run the Red Devils, and that it must be a straight takeover bid.

That's exactly what the Qatari bid would offer the Glazers and Man United, as Sheikh Jassim only wants 100% control of the club and is thought to be willing to walk away from any potential deal if it can't be done on their terms.