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Manchester United has told the Premier League the Glazer family still owns 100 per cent of the club.

There had been speculation the American owners may have sold a significant stake to pay off their controversial £220m PIK (payment in kind) loans.

Doubts grew after the Glazers set up a new parent company registered in Delaware, where there is no requirement to reveal details of ownership.

But a club spokesman told the BBC: "There has been no change of ownership."

However, the repayment of the PIKs , which were first borrowed at the time of the Glazer takeover in 2005 and accumulated punitive interest rolled up year on year, raises more questions than it answers.

And fans' groups now want to know if the Glazers have simply replaced one form of expensive debt with another that is concealed by the transfer of the ultimate parent company, Red Football LLC, from Nevada to Delaware.

With persistent reports linking United with a sale to the Qatar royal family, there is also the possibility that the Glazers have sold an option on the future sale in return for the money to pay off the PIKs.

But the club has repeatedly insisted that the Glazers have no intention of selling United.