sport news Man United 'face a chaotic summer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe awaiting takeover bid ... trends now
Manchester United face a potential summer of chaos with confirmation of a takeover not immediately forthcoming, it has been reported.
The Sun report that while Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been identified as the preferred bidder to buy the club from the Glazer family, he has not yet received the green light and as such the club finds itself marooned in a position of increasing uncertainty as the summer fast approaches.
It is widely accepted that this summer is a significant one for United, with Erik ten Hag still left with much to do to shape his squad in the way he envisages it.
The report claims that the uncertainty surrounding the takeover could scupper the club's aim to sign Harry Kane this summer, with the Tottenham forward said to be among their top targets.
Other areas to improve include the defensive areas and the midfield, while question marks hang over David de Gea's place as Ten Hag's No1. It is expected United will be among the most active Premier League clubs in the market this summer, though they could be significantly hindered by delays in the sale process.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to have been identified as the Glazers' preferred bidder after six months
The club are in limbo over whether or not it will be sold this summer amid speculation the Glazers might remain
Targets such as Harry Kane could prove unattainable should issues surrounding the sale persist
Such is the legal wrangling surrounding the deal, due diligence cannot be done by any party into the club until the New York-based merchant bank Raine Group, who are overseeing the sale, notify either party of their wont to move forward.
Full due diligence into accounts and other key areas could, it is said, take up to a month meaning it could conceivably be well into the summer by the time any successful party is able to make financial decisions.
The Glazers' seeming indecision throughout the process, which has seen three separate bidding deadlines since the turn of the year, with the announcement of a sale first being made late last year, has infuriated supporters even further.
Fans of the club complain of a stadium that is a crumbling relic of its former self, while Cristiano Ronaldo in his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan last year detailed how the facilities at Carrington had not improved since when he first left the club in 2009.
The need for a sale to be completed in advance of the summer has been outlined throughout the process, with much
