"In the hunt..." - Respected journalist drops major Man Utd sale update as new deadline revealed

Interested parties involved in the Manchester United takeover process have been told the required timeframe to submit their next bid, according to a respected journalist.

The process has entered its next stage this week, with representatives from the offer of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) chairman Sheikh Jassim, through his foundation, flying to Old Trafford for talks and presentations with United chiefs.

That delegation will then be followed by representatives from the Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos bid.

Unlike Sheikh Jassim, who wants a full takeover of United, the Ratcliffe/Ineos offer wants the buy the majority stake held by the current owners, the Glazer family.

BBC Sport's Simon Stone reported on Wednesday that Ratcliffe himself would be present in Manchester for talks, in a significant development to proceedings.

And fellow BBC journalist Dan Roan has since claimed that Ratcliffe's delegation will include Ineos director of sport Dave Brailsford, who was formerly the team principal of successful cycling team, Team Sky (later rebranded as Team Ineos).

Now, there has been another development.

Man Utd bidders given timeframe

According to the Daily Mail's Mike Keegan, interested parties in United have been informed they have 10 days to submit their next bid for the club.

The same source adds that when both Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe's delegation have completed their meetings and presentations, they will then be invited to make second offers to Raine Group, who are controlling the process on behalf of the Glazers.

The meetings are said to include a tour of Old Trafford and the Carrington training ground, where assessments will be undertaken on how much investment may be needed for both areas.

Previous reports have claimed that the Glazers want £6 billion for the club, and will refuse to budge from that asking price - and it remains to be seen whether Sheikh Jassim, Ratcliffe or other interested parties will be prepared to match that valuation.