Manchester United ownership bidders will have received feedback on their respective bids to take control of the club by the end of the week, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
What's the latest ownership news involving Manchester United?
As per Sky News, Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad is seeking to take over at Old Trafford and has fronted a bid worth £5 billion that could see the Red Devils become the most expensive sports team in the world; however, the offer is still below the Glazers' £6 billion valuation of the Premier League giants.
Football Insider have also revealed that Sheikh Jassim has pledged to fund £800 million worth of infrastructure developments at Manchester United, which will be used to improve Old Trafford and the Carrington training complex.
In competition, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS have tabled a bid that could see the Glazer family stay on as minority stakeholders and potentially retain a 20% share in Manchester United, as per Sky Sports.
INEOS are planning to take control of just over 50% of the Red Devils. At the same time, The Telegraph have claimed that Ratcliffe will demand full control of recruitment from the moment any prospective deal is agreed, something which the Glazers may not take too kindly towards.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacobs has given an update on the state of play surrounding the ongoing ownership battle at Manchester United.
Jacobs said: “Now they're going to have to either approach one group or admit to both of the groups, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim, that the number hasn't been hit, in which case, there's a variety of possibilities.
“One is that the groups decide to amend their offer. Another is that a group decides to try and engage more directly with The Glazers before doing that. And three, The Glazers go down a different route: strategic investment or no sale.
“So, the situation is still quite open. I would expect that by the end of this week, the feedback to the suitors will have been given.”
What now for Manchester United?
While the battle for ownership rages on off the field, Manchester United still have some work to do on the field before being able to lay claim to a top-four finish.
On Thursday, the Red Devils suffered a 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the dying stages courtesy of a coolly taken penalty by Alexis Mac Allister, leaving them four points clear of Liverpool in fifth position, having played one game less than their bitter rivals.
West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Fulham still lie in waiting for Manchester United as they look to secure a Champions League slot, leaving it all to play for as Erik ten Hag looks to cap off an impressive debut season in charge.
Manchester United also have the opportunity to add the FA Cup trophy to their Carabao Cup triumph earlier this year when they play Manchester City in the final at Wembley Stadium in June.
For now, at least, Ten Hag's men will be solely focused on winning as many games as possible as the ownership debacle continues at Old Trafford.
