US tycoon Malcolm Glazer has told the board of Manchester United he plans a new £800million takeover offer, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday.

The source said representatives of the billionaire owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football team had said the new offer would consist of more cash and less borrowing than his previous proposal. The last offer was rejected by Manchester United because it would have left the football club deeply in debt.

Manchester United and representatives of Glazer declined to comment.

Fans have urged the club's board to stand firm and resist a new approach from Glazer.

Glazer's attempt to purchase the club was thrown into doubt last month when his banker, JP Morgan Chase & Co, resigned after Glazer insisted on using his 28 per cent stake to vote against the re-election of three of the club's directors.

That won him little favour at Old Trafford, and further rankled the supporters who are unhappy at the prospect of a takeover by a foreign businessman with no previous ties to United.

Manchester United have said they want to sit down with their two largest shareholders, Glazer and Irish horseracing magnates JP McManus and John Magnier, as soon as possible to thrash out an agreement on ownership of the 126-year-old club.

Shareholders United vice-chairman Oliver Houston yesterday warned Glazer he would continue to encounter dissension from the club's fan base, particularly those who own a stake in the club.

He was far from shocked, however, to learn that another bid could be around the corner. "It's not a surprise," he said. "We always warned that Glazer is not someone who gives up easily.

"We have to show him it's not worth his while. There's now some talk of reducing the amount of borrowing that relies on being able to increase the profits drastically.

"That will mean fans getting hit in the pocket with higher ticket prices and over-exposure of the brand with more sponsorship."