"Bizarrely..." - Journalist drops significant Man Utd takeover update as 'next step' claim made

A journalist has dropped an update on the Manchester United takeover.

Last November United’s controversial owners, the Glazers, announced they were exploring “strategic alternatives” for the club, with a sale being one of the possible outcomes.

Since, Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani have both placed several bids for the Old Trafford club, with the former looking for a majority stake and the latter seeking a total takeover.

Yet nine months since being first put on the market, there is still uncertainty regarding who will take the reins at United.

INews has claimed the Glazers have effectively “paused” the takeover process at United despite Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim’s attempts to take control.

Meanwhile, the Mail Online has reported that talks are still ongoing between the Glazers and several parties over either a full sale or partial investment in United.

Amid the confusion, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has claimed there are fewer time constraints for a takeover to be completed, as United are currently prioritising summer recruitment.

Man Utd takeover

Speaking to Football Fan Cast, Jacobs admitted that the United hierarchy were “less panicked” over a swift takeover resolution as the focus at Old Trafford has turned to transfer activity.

Jacobs said: "I think that the next step in terms of timescale is less urgent in some ways.

“This window is not going to be possible to influence and once you can't influence the summer and because the Glazers have actually spent bigger than expected, whether the groups now we'll get in this month, next month, the month after, it doesn't quite make as much difference now.

"Summer is the best time for transition. But, if they get in, in September, October, or November, because the season planning is all done now, bizarrely, time is less important because the time was all dictated and the urgency was all dictated to get in for the summer.

“The fact that the groups can't get in for the summer if any of them are successful now means that they're almost less panicked about a specific timescale.

“It's more about just understanding who is genuinely a front-runner in all of this and dropping the games and having the Glazers finally communicate whether they're going to stay or go and that's where we're at."

Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Transfers, Erik Ten Hag

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.