Report: Man Utd ownership battle unlikely to be resolved before new season
The drawn-out battle to seize ownership of Manchester United from the Glazer family is unlikely to be completed before the new Premier League season kicks off in August, according to The Times' Matt Lawton and Matt Dickinson.
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe are the front-runners to buy the club. Ratcliffe remains the favorite to take over at Old Trafford, Lawton and Dickinson report, despite some media outlets claiming Sheikh Jassim was granted an exclusivity period to negotiate a deal. His Qatari group is reportedly still awaiting an update from Raine, the New York firm overseeing the sale for the Glazer family, after it lodged its latest bid last week.
The identity of the winning bidder could be announced soon, sources told Lawton and Dickinson, but the subsequent approval process before the takeover is completed would take a further 8-12 weeks. The overall process to sell Manchester United started last November.
Club employees are concerned about their job security while they're left in the dark about the anticipated sale, according to The Guardian's Jamie Jackson.
The uncertainty over the club's future apparently won't affect United's summer transfer plans, as Erik ten Hag is looking for new players across a variety of positions.
Manchester United start their season with a league visit from Wolverhampton Wanderers on Aug. 14.