Manchester United

Manchester United takeover 'unlikely to happen before June'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 11 March 2023

Manchester United's proposed takeover is now unlikely to happen before June due to the complexities surrounding the deal, according to a report.

Manchester United's proposed takeover is reportedly now unlikely to happen before June, with the Glazer family targeting a potential sale before the summer transfer window opens.

Last November, the Glazers signalled that they were open to selling the 20-time English champions, and it had initially been thought that a takeover could occur before the end of April.

However, an agreement with a proposed new owner is not close, with the Glazers standing firm on their £6bn valuation of the club, which is currently pricing out interested parties.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe have both made offers of around £4.5bn for the Red Devils, and both parties are set to travel to Manchester next week for presentations.

General view inside Manchester United's stadium Old Trafford before the match on January 10, 2023 © Reuters

However, a recent report claimed that Sheikh Jassim would be prepared to walk away from a deal if the Glazers are unprepared to drop their current valuation, which is viewed as unrealistic by potential suitors.

According to The Telegraph, if the current owners agree to a sale, they are hopeful that it will be completed before the summer transfer window opens in June.

The report claims that another two parties are interested in purchasing the 20-time English champions, but the identity of those have not yet been made public.

Co-owners Avram Glazer and Joel Glazer are also both thought to be prepared to walk away from a potential deal unless their valuation is met.

General view inside Old Trafford before the match on January 10, 2022 © Reuters

Avram Glazer came into the Man United dressing room after the team beat Newcastle United at the end of February to win the EFL Cup - the club's first silverware in six years.

"He was really happy for the club, as our owner. He wanted to be part of it. He was in the dressing room, it was good he was here. It showed his intentions," Man United boss Erik ten Hag told reporters at the time.

Ten Hag recently insisted that he was concentrating on footballing matters at Old Trafford amid the ongoing speculation surrounding the ownership situation at the club.

The Red Devils are currently unable to make firm plans for the summer transfer window due to the uncertainty when it comes to a potential takeover.

However, the club are expected to be in the market for a big-money centre-forward, while Ten Hag is also believed to be keen to bring a central midfielder to Old Trafford.