Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been met with the bruising reality of the situation at Old Trafford as the takeover process drags on.
The Red Devils were expected to be busy in the upcoming transfer market as they attempted to cut the gap to rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. A number of targets were identified before the current campaign concluded.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane is prime among United’s targets as they aim to bolster their attack with a big-name forward. England colleague and West Ham hero Declan Rice also has long-term admirers at Old Trafford.
However, deals for either will not be easy given the current situation at the club. Sign-off on any big-money signing needs to receive the green light from co-owner Joel Glazer - the American having internally expressed concern with the club’s finances according to The Athletic.
That could see the club’s ability to seal big-money deals impacted. West Ham are expected to demand over £100m for midfielder Rice - a fee that is not affordable for the Red Devils at this stage.
Meanwhile, a deal for Kane also looks tricky to conclude with Daniel Levy expected to be stern in negotiations with any club, whilst he is also opposed to selling to a Premier League rival this summer.
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The only potential solution for the Red Devils appears to be a swift takeover at Old Trafford but that appears unlikely at this stage. United have been publicly up for sale since November and supporters are still no closer to finding out who the club’s new owners will be.
Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani lodged a fifth and final bid for the Red Devils earlier this week and will stop engaging with the process should it not be accepted. INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also waiting in the wings to see if a deal could be struck.
Any takeover in the immediate future would certainly be a relief for manager Ten Hag, who has already stressed the need for investment into the playing squad. Speaking ahead of the FA Cup final, the Dutchman said: "We are in the right direction, but we are not there where we have to be, there's still a long way to go, there's potential in this team and individual players.
"We showed during the season we made progress, that's a compliment to the players and the coaches, we worked really hard, but we have to make an investment.
"The club knows if you want to play top four, compete for trophies in this tough league then you have to invest otherwise you don't have a chance because other clubs will do."
