Premier League set to further delay Manchester United takeover once preferred bidder picked

The takeover process of Manchester United has seen delay after delay after delay.

In a process that started in mid-November, the Glazer family have been refusing to pick a preferred deal for the sale of Manchester United.

The two front-runners, Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, have submitted five and four bids respectively over the course of seven months, with Jassim tipped as the current favourite to take over the club.

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The Premier League has seen multiple takeovers in recent seasons – most notably the Saudi Arabian takeover of Newcastle United.

The Newcastle takeover was pretty swift, however, one process that whoever wins the race for Manchester United will have to go through is the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test.

Premier League chiefs would still have to complete the Owners’ and Directors’ Test once a bid is accepted which takes around ten days. This would then further eat into the uncertainty of this transfer window.

Erik ten Hag is said to be ‘angry’ at how the takeover process is affecting his transfer plans, with the delays having scuppered his chances of signing Declan Rice this summer.

With the Premier League restarting on 12 August, the chances of United having new owners by the time they kick off their 2023/24 season feels increasingly slim.