It's deadline day at Manchester United as the club invites revised bids for a possible takeover. Less than a week after potential investors were welcomed to Manchester to get a first-hand look at the club and its facilities, prospective buyers now have until 9pm to submit any improved offers.
As things stand, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe remain the only two public bidders for United and are very much framed as the frontrunners for a possible takeover.
It is believed there will be further offers made for the club, though, and several parties, including US hedge funds, have reportedly contacted Raine, the bank handling the sale, to offer financial help for any takeover bid or in the event a sale fails to materialise.
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United fans continue to be polarised by their preferred choice to purchase the club, but what is clear is that any interested party must be committed to building upon the solid foundations that have already been laid this season.
No matter what happens in the closing months of the campaign, United have already achieved their targets under Erik ten Hag, by winning a trophy and looking assured of a top-four finish to go with it.
They also stand a very good chance of reaching the final of the FA Cup and the semi-finals of the Europa League, and they could well end the season with three trophies under their belts. The next step will be to close the gap on the leading sides in the Premier League and for United to mount a serious challenge in the Champions League as well.
Ten Hag has already shown plenty of signs that those are both achievable targets, but there is no ignoring the fact that he will also need to be backed well as part of his rebuild.
It's set to be a summer of wide change at Old Trafford, with a real focus on outgoings, and there is a belief that with a few smart additions this United side could mount a serious title challenge next season.
What is crucial to that is starting the season well, and in order to do so, Ten Hag will want to have any new recruits in place as early as possible this summer so that they can settle in and have a full pre-season with their new teammates.
United had to wait until the season had started before they managed to add Casemiro and Antony to their ranks this season, and had already paid the price with humbling defeats in the first two matches.
It was not until those two summer signings were properly integrated that United really turned a corner under Ten Hag, which provides the perfect argument why they need to get their business done quickly again this summer.
In an ideal world, United will look to avoid long-drawn-out transfer dealings this summer and have their top targets in place before they head out on their US tour.
United's priority will be to sign an elite-level striker this summer, regardless of what happens regarding a takeover, though other top additions will likely rely on player sales and any injection of cash into the club.
They will need to have clarity over the ownership situation by then in order to assess how much money they have to spend in the summer window, while it will also be crucial in selling the club to any potential transfer targets.
United need to keep working to these deadlines.
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