Man Utd takeover news: Sheikh Jassim update as process creates transfer ‘uncertainty’

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani has reportedly still not heard back from the Glazer family, over two weeks after submitting his latest bid to buy Manchester United.

The Qatari is believed to have submitted a fourth offer to buy purchase club on 17 May, following three previous rounds of bids. At the conclusion of the third stage of bidding, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s offer was believed to have been the preferred proposal, and it was widely reported that prompted Sheikh Jassim to lodge a fourth and final offer well after the deadline had passed.

However, there have been no further updates regarding whether a winning bid has been selected in the prolonged takeover saga, with both the Qatar and Ineos delegations waiting to find out the next stage in the process.

The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson tweeted to say: “As I understand it, Sheikh Jassim is still waiting to hear back from Glazers regarding his last bid for Man Utd.”

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Ratcliffe remains the leading candidate to buy United, although his takeover would see Joel and Avram Glazer retain a minority stake in the club. That outcome would evidently not plicate the frustrations of United fans, who desperately want the Glazer family to sell the entirety of their shares.

It prompted Gary Neville to suggest that is the reason behind the stalling in recent weeks from the Glazers, with the US owners preferring to get an ‘unpopular’ deal wrapped up in the summer months, therefore limiting the opportunity for fans to protest.

“They know fan protests would have been more significant than they already have if matches were still being played and the end result of the sale process is unpopular,” tweeted the ex-defender. “Basically any family members staying in would be deemed unacceptable by all fans. Is this why they’re holding off?”

The takeover process is also having a negative impact on United’s summer transfer plans as the uncertainty surrounding the ownership means determining how much the club are able to spend on incomings remains unclear.

On Thursday, The Athletic reported: “United’s ownership flux is adding some uncertainty to budgets but Ten Hag and the club’s recruitment staff are progressing on a basis of business as usual.”