Man Utd takeover live - Sale delayed by Glazers amid Sheikh Jassim concern

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Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash

No Saudi interest in Man Utd

Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley has dismissed the idea that Saudi Arabia might be interested in buying Manchester United.

Speaking at the FT Business of Football summit she said: “I don’t think so. That’s not my belief. I can’t speak for PIF but I don’t see that."

Read more here.

Blow to Ten Hag's plans

Manchester United target Benjamin Pavard has ruled out a summer exit from Bayern Munich, in a blow to Erik ten Hag's transfer plans.

The Dutchman is set to prioritise signing a new right-back in the summer, as he searches for an upgrade on Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Pavard has been linked with a departure from the Allianz Arena, reports which have increased since Joao Cancelo's arrival in January.

The Frenchman has won three Bundesliga titles and the Champions League in his four seasons with Bayern. But his contract at the German giants expires in 18 months, with Bayern thought to be ready to sell him.

Read more here.

Keane warns Antony

Roy Keane has warned Manchester United star Antony that he will be “targeted” by opponents due to his flamboyant playing style.

Keane is concerned that he could suffer a serious injury because his tricky style provokes opponents. “I think he will have to learn the hard way,” Keane said on ITV ahead of United’s 3-1 win over West Ham in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.

“Players have targeted him. We saw that at the weekend, where he is trying to make a fool of people and players have tried to go through the back of him, so he will have to learn quickly otherwise he will pick up more injuries.”

Man Utd deadline day live updates as Sabitzer completes loan move

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United receive Greenwood enquiries

Manchester United have received a number of enquiries regarding the availability of Mason Greenwood from clubs interested in taking the striker on loan.

The 21-year-old remains suspended by the Old Trafford club pending the outcome of an internal investigation after criminal charges related to an alleged attempted rape and coercive behaviour were dropped last month.

According to the Telegraph, Turkish clubs are among those interested in signing him on loan but no firm offers had been made to United. No timescale has been provided in relation to the club's investigation and there have been suggestions that it may not be completed until after the domestic season.

Read more here.

State links to Qatari bid questioned

Peter Frankental, Amnesty UK’s economic affairs director, believes the scrutiny on Newcastle should also extend to Manchester United’s Qatari bid.

He said: “The Premier League will surely need to re-examine the assurances made about the non-involvement of the Saudi authorities in the Newcastle deal, not least as there’s still a Qatari bid for Manchester United currently on the table.”

Read more here.

Newcastle scrutiny could affect Man Utd

Newcastle are under pressure once again, with their Premier League rivals asking the league to examine the club's connections to the Saudi state.

Newcastle are owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and the Premier League says it has assurances that the club is one step removed from the state.

That is now under the microscope after the Magpies' chairman, Yasir al-Rumayyan was described in a US court document as "sitting minister of the Saudi government". What does this have to do with Man Utd?

Well, one of the bids to buy the club comes from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani - but there have been questions as to whether his bid really is a private one, and not connected to the Qatari state.

(Newcastle Chronicle)

Neville: Casemiro Man Utd's most important player

Gary Neville has crowned Casemiro as Manchester United's most important player, amid the Brazilian's stunning impact since his arrival from Real Madrid.

But he admitted that he could not believe the three other stars he was naming as United's crucial players. The former Red Devils skipper included Marcus Rashford, David de Gea and Raphael Varane alongside Casemiro, the only Erik ten Hag signing to feature.

That trio have struggled over recent campaigns, particularly last season under the ill-fated reigns of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. And Neville admitted to being left astonished by their turnaround since Ten Hag took charge.

Read more here.

Game of cat and mouse

We've reached an impasse with the sale of Manchester United.

The Glazers want £6billion to part with the club which they've owned since a debt-leveraged buy-out in 2005. They are not in a rush to sell, however, and after receiving initial bids they are sitting tight in the hope that they can drive a harder bargain.

The Qatari bid is backed by huge wealth and may be tempted to pay over the odds to get the asset they want.

Political motivation behind Qatar bid

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s bid to buy Manchester United is partly motivated by regional politics in the Middle East, The Times reports.

The newspaper sent a reporter to Doha this week, where he spoke to sources about Qatar’s attempts to buy the club from the Glazers. Many sources suggested the regional competition with Saudi Arabia and the UAE is a large part of why they want to buy United.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund owns Newcastle while City are owned by Abu Dhabi United Group, whose founder is Sheikh Mansour – the deputy Prime Minister of the UAE.

Qatar want a Premier League club to rival their neighbours.

Boston Celtics chief responds to takeover talk

Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca did not answer directly when asked if he was interested in buying Manchester United or Liverpool.

The American investor has flirted with purchasing a Premier League club in the past, as he was linked with a Chelsea takeover last year. Pagliuca was asked about whether he was interested in buying United or their arch-rivals at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit but responded by discussing why the Glazers might be motivated to sell the Red Devils.

"Obviously, the Chelsea process, which received a record price, has probably motivated folks to try and monetise clubs that they have owned for a long time, and we are certainly in a period where values have been driven up," he said. "Anyone who buys a club has to assess the economic opportunity, how much money we have to put in to keep up the quality and what that will cost you. That is what we do in everything we are looking at."

Stephen Pagliuca (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Ten Hag fixed two Solskjaer mistakes

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has wasted little time in resolving two issues that plagued the club during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign.

However, the Dutchman can't take all of the credit, as he has a right-hand man and former England boss Steve McClaren to thank for giving him the tip-off to solve the issues three years ago. The current United assistant spotted how Solskjaer deployed Anthony Martial and offered up an explanation as to why the Frenchman was struggling under Ten Hag's predecessor.

He suggested that Martial was actually more useful when operating out wide and using him in a central attacking role was to the detriment of both the player and the squad. But it was not just the former Monaco man that caused Solskjaer headaches, according to McClaren.

Find out which other issue Ten Hag resolved here.

Transfer target sends Casemiro message

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is back on Manchester United's radar ahead of the summer transfer window - and Casemiro could play a key role in convincing the player over a move to Old Trafford.

United had an initial transfer fee of £56.2million agreed with Barca last summer to sign the Dutch midfield maestro, but ultimately no deal was struck. Despite not opting to complete a switch to United, the two clubs were in constant dialogue throughout last summer and De Jong even liked an Instagram post in which Casemiro arrived at Old Trafford for the first time.

A fresh report in talkSPORT highlights that Casemiro’s presence at United would be a huge factor in potentially convincing De Jong to leave the Camp Nou to link up with Ten Hag once more. The two midfield stars were rivals in multiple El Clasicos but hold great admiration for each other.

(AFP via Getty Images)

La Liga president comments on Qatar bid

ICYMI: Man Utd sale delayed

The biggest story concerning the potential Manchester United takeover relates to a split among the Glazers regarding a 100 per cent sale of the club.

Neither Sheikh Jassim nor Sir Jim Ratcliffe met the £6billion asking price set by United's owners, with initial bids thought to be at a maximum of £4.5bn.

The Glazers have vary degrees of reluctance to sell the club for less than their lofty valutation and the way forward is unclear. What is for certain is that a sale by the end of the month appears highly ambitious, so it could take until the end of the season for a takeover to go through.

De Jong 'attracted' to Casemiro partnership

Back to the transfer front now and Frenkie de Jong is increasingly interested in forging a partnership with Casemiro, according to TalkSPORT.

Erik ten Hag is still believed to be keen on signing the 25-year-old Barcelona midfielder, who rejected a move to Manchester United last summer.

Now, though, it's claimed that De Jong is attracted to the idea of playing alongside Casemiro in Ten Hag's midfield and helping drive United to more glory.

(Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Full story: Sheikh Jassim's father has say on Man Utd bid

The father of would-be Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani insisted his son's bid for the club should simply be treated as an investment opportunity.

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the former prime minister of Qatar, dismissed suggestions the debt-free takeover would be used as an "advertisement" for his country. Sheikh Jassim is the chairman of one of Qatar's largest banks and is the face of a bid for a full takeover at Old Trafford submitted last month.

Amnesty International has raised concerns that Qatari tycoons with intrinsic links to the country's rulers buying United would represent a concerning case of sportswashing. However, Sheikh Hamad, who it's believed is bankrolling his son's bid - has little interest in using the Red Devils as a means to enhance Qatar's reputation... or even owning the club at all.

Read the full story.

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani talks about his son's bid for Manchester United (Bloomberg)

Sheikh Jassim's father questions Man Utd takeover bid

Sheikh Jassim's father has questioned his son's attempts to buy Manchester United.

In an interview for The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations, conducted before his son officially lodged a bid, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani - the former prime minister of Qatar - said via Bloomberg: "I am not a football fan.

"I don't like this investment. Maybe it will work well. But you know, some of my sons like this, they always discuss it with me. They're pushing hard. This isn't my specialty. Let me put it like this: I am an investor. If it will one day be a good investment, I will think about it. I will not look at it as something you do just as an advertisement."

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is the face of the Qatari bid to buy Manchester United.

Ramsay joins Wales setup

A key memeber of Erik ten Hag's coaching staff, Eric Ramsay, has joined Rob Page's backroom team in the Welsh international setup.

Ramsay will combine his current role at Manchester United with Wales.

Women's boss speaks out amid takeover talk

Manchester United Women manager Marc Skinner says that he harbours no concerns over the club's potential takeover regarding how it could affect his side in the transfer market.

"It's business as usual". Skinner told BBC Sport, who quizzed him on if his budget could change and subsequently prevent planned signings. "There are no barriers to us doing that."

Staveley not expecting Saudi to sell Newcastle and buy Man Utd

Maguire lifts lid on Ten Hag rollicking

Harry Maguire confessed that he and his Manchester United teammates were on the end of a half-time rollicking from Erik ten Hag during Wednesday's dramatic 3-1 FA Cup win against West Ham.

The Red Devils narrowly made it through to the FA Cup quarter-finals thanks to a spectacular 90th-minute strike from Alejandro Garnacho and Fred 's rather fortuitous clincher in injury time. United, now targeting an unprecedented quadruple, had gone 1-0 down early in the second half thanks to Said Benrahma's emphatic effort. An own goal from West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd drew them level on 77 minutes before their South American duo's injury-time intervention.

At half-time, Ten Hag was far from happy with his side's display. Club captain Maguire revealed that the Red Devils boss felt the need to berate his players for their under-par performance.

Read the full story.

(MUTV)

Fred makes confident Garnacho prediction

Manchester United star Fred has tipped team-mate Alejandro Garnacho to become "one of the best players in the world" after the teenager made another decisive impact on Wednesday night.

United were level with West Ham in their FA Cup fifth round clash when Garnacho popped up with a last-minute goal. Fred added a third deep into stoppage time to see Erik ten Hag's side through to the quarter-finals, where they will meet another Premier League opponent in the form of Fulham.

The result leaves Ten Hag's men in the running for multiple trophies after their victory in the Carabao Cup final. With a Europa League last-16 meeting with Real Betis on the horizon, as well as an outside shot of the Premier League title, Garnacho could have a big role to play in the coming months and beyond.

Read the full story.

Ten Hag reveals pre-match Garnacho chat

Some reaction from last night.

Erik ten Hag hailed teenage sensation Alejandro Garnacho for the stunning late strike that sent Manchester United into the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Garnacho scored with a sublime curling effort in the 90th minute to put United ahead against West Ham, with substitute Fred sealing the win with a third goal in added time. United, fresh from Sunday's Carabao Cup final triumph, will host Fulham for a place in the semi-finals at Wembley, with Ten Hag full of praise for match-winner Garnacho.

"I saw today another step from him," said Ten Hag. "I told him before the game, 'you have an impact when you come on, but now you need to have impact as a starter'. I think he's capable of it and that's the next step he needs to take."

Read the full story.

(Getty Images)

Transfer target reveals dream club

Some transfer news now which may interest Manchester United's potential new owners...

Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque, who has been scouted by United and Arsenal, has declared it his dream to play for Barcelona.

Roque has attracted attention from Europe’s biggest clubs by starring for Athletico Paranaense in Brazil. He has played at huge tournaments like the Copa Libertadores, as well as featuring for Brazil's under-20 side at the South American under-20 Championship.

His playing style has seen him dubbed as 'the next Luis Suarez', with Chelsea, United and Arsenal among the clubs to take an interest in his fledgling career.

Read the full story.

Vitor Roque was joint-top scorer at the South American U20 championship (JUAN PABLO PINO/AFP via Getty Images)

Sheikh Jassim's bid 'all or nothing'

CBS Sports have described Sheikh Jassim's bid to buy Manchester United as 'all or nothing'.

The Qatari banker and his group reportedly aren't interested in anything besides a full takeover.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is the face of the Qatari bid to buy Manchester United.

Full story: Glazers open to minority sale

The Glazers are listening to minority offers for Manchester United and could remain in charge of the club once the takeover saga ends.

United's unpopular owners put the Premier League club up for sale last November and received two confirmed offers for full ownership from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe ahead of last month's 'soft' deadline.

The Glazers are yet to accept a bid for United and more offers - including minority bids - are expected to be made during the coming weeks. Such offers will not be welcomed by those Red Devils fans who want the Glazers to sell up after a decade of stagnation.

Read the full story.

The Glazer siblings have put a takeover under threat (Getty Images)

Good morning

Hello and welcome to today's live Manchester United blog!

We're be right across any details regarding the club's potential sale and much more.

Let's get right into it.

Glazer stance firmed up by "underwhelming" offers

Avram and Joel Glazer are both waivering over their decision to sell Manchester United after receiving "underwhelming indicative offers", according to Sky Sports.

Siblings Kevin, Edward, Bryan and Darcie are keen to get out of United, but Avram and Joel - the two most involved - could prevent that from happening.

Qatar bid in pole position

There is a feeling that the Glazers' decision to put the brakes on the process to sell Manchester United might play into the hands of the Qatari bid.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani remains determined to buy the club and the fact the Glazers want £6billion to sell might not put him off as much as other bidders.

While others are in the running for financial reasons, Qatar's reasons for owning United are more complicated, to do with expanding the country's reach and - according to some more criticial commentators - sportswashing the country's image.