Man Utd takeover latest: Jim Ratcliffe 'confident' of timeline, Richard Arnold decision, Glazers defence

Manchester United continue to wait for a takeover to go through almost a year after it was announced the Glazers would consider outside investment. That announcement brought hope of a full takeover for many United fans, but it has since become clear that won't be the case.

Sheikh Jassim proposed a full takeover worth more than £5 billion, but the Glazers were not keen on leaving the club altogether, and Jim Ratcliffe is now the only serious bidder remaining, proposing a partial takeover. With talks still ongoing, we have rounded up all the latest surrounding the situation.

Ratcliffe camp confident

The latest claim from Football Insider suggests Ratcliffe's United investment will be finalised 'within weeks' and 'before the New Year'. It's claimed INEOS are fully confident that the process will be completed sooner rather than later, with no issues expected with the Premier League's owners test.

Ratcliffe and INEOS are set to buy 25% of the club for between £1.3 and £1.4billion. Talks are still ongoing over the control of football operations, which is somehing Ratcliffe wants as part of his investment.

Arnold change incoming

On that note, Ratcliffe is pushing for footballing control, and he might just get it, but that would mean bad news for United's current CEO Richard Arnold. Ratcliffe is likely to shake things up at senior level, and The Athletic claim Arnold is well aware he would be asked to step aside should the INEOS investment go through.

The move would allow Ratcliffe to get his own man into the CEO position, ensuring the club - at least at a footballing level - is run the way he wants. Such moves are not uncommon after takeovers, which is why Arnold is already well aware of the possibility.

Ferdinand's Glazers defence

Rio Ferdinand has defended the Glazers over the lengthy takeover process. He told 90min: "I don't know, really. We're still in the dark as to what 25% shareholding looks like, what it means, what is amounts to.

"I think if you asked every Man Utd fan on the planet did they see this kind of outcome for the club in terms of ownership, they probably would have said no. They were looking to see a complete new ownership coming in the doors, that hasn't materialised.

"So now the fanbase is sitting there waiting to be explained to where this leaves the club and what's the direction now, what are the roles and responsibilities, what does that 25% shareholding look like from everyday working at the football club.

"In other businesses when there's loads of other business surrounding us, they don't really have to tell us what they're doing. But I think with a football club it's very different. Just the communication, the open lines of communication, I think that's something fanbase have been waiting for, hoping for, looking for. I think if Sir Jim Ratcliffe is to go in there, it would be a wise decision of his to take over that area of the football club as well."