MUST, the Manchester United Supporters' Trust, has called for the takeover of the club to be 'concluded without further delay.'
The Glazer family, the current owners of United, are looking to sell the club, or at the very least for major investment, and have opened a bidding process for potential buyers. Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company Ineos and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani are the current front-runners in the race but there remain parties in the running who have yet to make themselves public.
A breakthrough in negotiations was expected this month following the closure of the second round of bidding but it's understood there will be a third round, suggesting the Glazers' valuation for the club is yet to be met. The news has been lambasted by fans and club legends alike and now MUST have vented their own frustrations at the latest development.
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A statement read: "When it was announced in November that the Glazers were undertaking a “strategic review” and inviting offers to buy the Club, MUST welcomed the news and went on to urge the majority owners to move ahead with the process with speed, so that any period of uncertainty was as short as possible.
"Nearly five months on, we read speculation that offers from prospective buyers remain below the Glazers valuation, and that a third round of offers will now be invited.
"With Erik Ten Hag having made such great progress in his first season, and with the vital summer transfer window a matter of weeks away, the news of these delays and further prolonged uncertainty are of great concern. Erik needs to know what resources he has to spend so he can make the signings the Club needs, and the whole management resources of the Club need to be focussed on supporting him in that. That cannot be the case with the future ownership so unclear.
"We are also unable to move forward on major investment projects - not least the stadium redevelopment as we remain in limbo.
"We are in dire need of new investment, which undoubtedly requires new ownership. MUST, along with United fans all around the world, are calling for this process to be concluded without further delay."
Another bidder was Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus but he announced his withdrawal from the process due to the delays. He took to Twitter to announce his decision and criticize the Glazers. "I have declined participation in a third bidding round for United," he wrote. "The bidding is turning into a farce, with Glazers giving no respect to the club. The delays will make it very difficult for any new owner to build a winning team for next season."
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