The process of Manchester United 's potential sale is set to last until May after the Glazer family found themselves in disagreement over selling the club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani have both officially lodged bids and are due to receive a response this week, although they're likely to face rejection. The Glazers are holding out for their £6billion asking price, according to the Guardian, who add that both Ratcliffe, founder of chemical giants INEOS, and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim made respective offers worth £4.5bn.
As a result, the initial end of March deadline which the American family were targeting has become unrealistic, with the process now expected to run until the end of this season. It's also claimed that the six Glazer siblings each have their own intentions as part of the sale, leading to indecision within the family.
Suggestions emerged last week that brothers Joel and Avram Glazer, who front of United's ownership as co-executive chairmen, are both reluctant to sanctioning a full sale of their majority stake in the club which they've held since 2005. The Glazers could be willing to compromise on their £6bn price tag, but it's unclear as to whether a comprehensive takeover will be the final outcome.
In November, the club's board declared that they were seeking "strategic alternatives for investment," as opposed to confirming that United were entirely for sale. However, Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim have both gone head-to-head with majority bids which they hope to prove successful over the coming months.
Sky Sports report that the cash-rich banker, a son of Qatar's former prime minister, is determined to become the Red Devils' new owner, having wanted to attend Sunday's Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Ultimately deciding that it wasn't appropriate given the circumstances, with Avram Glazer being present at the match, Sheikh Jassim is said to have enjoyed the 2-0 win against Newcastle with family and friends from his home in Doha.
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The Athletic claim that he was even partially involved of a plot to buy United in 2010 as part of the Red Knights, a group of wealthy fans who wanted to oust the Glazers. As fans vented fury towards their current owners more than a decade ago, Sheikh Jassim was allegedly on the periphery of talks in Doha for the ultimately failed attempt and 'seemed very interested'.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Ratcliffe was in Monaco to watch the French club which he already owns, Nice, romp to a 3-0 victory. The Manchester-born 70-year-old, who's considered to be one of the richest men in Britain, also claims to be a boyhood United fan.
