"Behind the scenes..." - Fabrizio Romano drops Man Utd sale update as Sheikh Jassim claim made

It has now been more than six months since Manchester United was first put up for sale.

The Glazers announced back in November that they were 'exploring strategic alternatives' for the club, including a full sale.

Since then, Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe have both submitted several bids for the Premier League club.

Meanwhile, a number of other parties have expressed an interest in purchasing a minority stake in United.

But nearly 200 days down the line, neither Sheikh Jassim or Ratcliffe have been publicly named as the preferred bidder by Raine, who are handling the sale on behalf of the Glazer family.

The protracted sale process threatens to disrupt the club's summer transfer plans, with the window opening for English clubs on June 14.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed both Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe are still working to complete a takeover, suggesting neither party has been informed by Raine if they are the preferred bidder.

Romano told GiveMeSport: "Both INEOS Group and the Qatari group are still in there and still working on a takeover behind the scenes, but everything is in the Glazers' hands so we're still waiting."

Glazer asked to provide Man Utd takeover update

United co-chairman Avram Glazer attended the FA Cup final on Saturday as the Red Devils were beaten 2-1 by rivals Manchester City.

When asked to provide fans with an update on the sale, Glazer refused to comment.

"Glazer shook hands with all United and City players, plus [Erik] ten Hag and [Pep] Guardiola, but refused to answer questions on talks with interested bidders when he walked through the media mixed zone," read a report from The Athletic.

The Glazers have been branded "unprofessional" by club legend Gary Neville over their handling of the sale process.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claim Avram Glazer and his brother Joel could remain at United once the sale is completed by retaining a minority stake in the club.

It is claimed that the brothers could feel 'emboldened' to stay by the relative lack of anti-Glazer protests at the FA Cup final.

Topics: Manchester United, Football, Premier League

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan