It was described by one industry source as a "circus" and another as a "soap opera" and only added to the feeling that things rarely run smoothly where Manchester United are concerned.
The 9pm Wednesday deadline for second bids to buy the club passed with suggestions that the Qatari bidders and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS group had tabled new offers, only for that idea to be swiftly debunked and the deadline extended.
New bids are still expected to be forthcoming but it only added to the intrigue and the uncertainty which has surrounded this process since the Glazers went public with their intention to sell - or seek new investment - in November.
READ MORE: United stance on De Gea and Rashford contracts amid takeover talks
The extension has potentially bought two more interested parties to the table on Thursday. But the proposal from Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus is clearly ambitious based on the sums he has put forward. Zilliacus has based his calculations on the club's market value of $3.9bn (£3.1bn), which is significantly below the asking price. Even at that price, he is asking for 650 million United fans to contribute $3 each, which looks extremely unlikely.
It has also been reported that Elliott Investment Management have submitted an offer for a minority stake in the club before Wednesday's deadline. It is understood they have privately distanced themselves from reports they could offer funding to Joel and Avram Glazer to buy out their four siblings.
One source described the decision to extend the deadline as Raine effectively "hustling" for the Glazers, who have set a £6bn asking price for United. It was expected that second bids would still fall below that figure.
Representatives of the Sheikh Jassim bid and a team from INEOS visited Old Trafford and Carrington at the end of last week for talks and presentations on the club, but it is suggested they both left not entirely impressed with what they had seen considering the scale of the asking price and the infrastructure projects required at the stadium and the training ground.
The extension to the deadline is being seen as an attempt by Raine to either bring other bidders to the table or play on the desire of Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe to buy the club, thereby forcing the price up.
When the Glazers went public with the idea of selling in November it was expected there would be a long list of interested parties, especially on the back of the sale of Chelsea, which was also overseen by Raine. However, there remain just two serious bidders for a full takeover and there is scepticism as to whether there is more interest aside from the Qatar bid and INEOS.
The decision to appoint the US bank to try and drum up a sale was seen as the Glazers expecting them to bring other bidders to the table, but a source close to the family predicted in November that it would come down to a fight between a Qatar bidder and Ratcliffe. There has been Qatari interest in United for at least a decade and Ratcliffe held talks with the family in the summer.
The relationship between the six siblings is another unknown in the takeover. Avram and Joel remain open to the idea of selling, while Bryan, Edward, Darcie and Kevin all want to sell and cash in their investment.
The prospect of the Glazers remaining in charge of United, or at least Avram and Joel staying put, is still alive. As one source describes it, this is currently "a stand off".
READ NEXT:
