BREAKING: Man Utd sale not expected to happen until after Premier League season starts

Manchester United's takeover has taken its latest twist with reports that it won't be done until after the Premier League season has started.

When people note that the football season never ends they definitely mean this past week as an excellent example, with Manchester City's Champions League victory supposedly seeing out the campaign.

Since then we've had the victory parade and all the fallout from Jack Grealish's exploits and then the transfer window opened on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning just to really put an exclamation point on the neverending story, the Premier League announced its fixtures for the upcoming 2023/24 campaign.

Whilst all that has been going on, the Glazer family have been bringing a whole new meaning to the word 'neverending' with their prolonged attempts to sell United.

It started way back last November at the start of the World Cup and somehow they're still going on, as Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe wait to find out who is going to be named the preferred bidder.

Certainly talk in recent days has claimed that it'll be the Qatari billionaire who win the race, with even Rio Ferdinand decreeing that it'll happen 'imminently.'

Reports from inside the Sheikh's camp have certainly been less optimistic and it seems like the end is not in sight just yet for anyone.

According to the Times, the process is now expected to be delayed until after next season has started on August 14th, with Erik ten Hag's side taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The report claims that preferred bidder isn't actually that far away but the "approval process" could then take eight to 10 weeks longer.

Protests against the Glazers have continued throughout the prolonged sale. Image: Alamy

The report adds that despite all the recent excitement about the Qatari bid it is actually Manchester born Ratcliffe and his Ineos company who remain favourites to buy the club.

It adds that the door remains open to everyone, despite Sheikh Jassim having a deadline of last week for the Americans to negotiate his offer.

One positive for United fans and Ten Hag is the revelation that the continued negotiations will not actually impact their transfer business this summer.

The manager is desperate to add a forward to his team but that will not be Harry Kane, whilst Mason Mount is also expected to join.

Topics: Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Manchester United, Premier League, Football

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a journalist for SPORTbible with over eight years of experience. Passionate about all sports, he mainly covers football and F1 - Daniel Ricciardo once spent an entire interview referring to him as 'Ryan Gosling,' still his proudest moment.

@Sidler28