Man Utd takeover live - Ten Hag's Qatar warchest amid Sheikh Jassim's confidence

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

Please join us on Wednesday morning for the latest updates.

Waiting game

The soft deadline passed on Friday – and we are now waiting for the next steps to emerge.

The Telegraph says the bidders are anxiously waiting for details from Raine, who will have taken the offers to the Glazers to discuss. One source has told the newspaper: “The ball is very much in the court of the Glazers and Raine now."

Potential bidder pulls out

At least one bidder pulled out of a bid for Manchester United over the high price tag the Glazers have slapped on the club.

The Americans are believed to be hoping to raise in the region of £6billion in return for a sale of the Premier League giants.

But the New York Times report at least one potential buyer pulled out as they believed it was worth no more than £3bn.

United raise season ticket prices

Manchester United are raising the prices of adult season tickets next season amid a significant increase in the cost of putting on matches.

The Red Devils will increase prices by 5 per cent, the first time they have done so after 11 successive seasons of price freezes.

United have told supporters that costs have risen by 40 per cent in the last five years, with the club opting to raise season ticket prices in a bid to combat it.

Bidders told to stop Glazer attacks

The Raine Group have told both Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani to scale back their attacks of the Glazers' ownership of the club.

Man Utd deadline day live updates as Sabitzer completes loan move

Both parties have made returning United to its glory years a key pledge to fans, though this has been interpreted as an attack of the current regime.

According to BBC Sport the two official bidders for a full takeover have been told to stop making 'vitriolic public statements.

Ratcliffe's bid hides crucial detail

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have NOT promised to wipe Manchester United's existing debt, which may concern some supporters.

United have been put up for sale by owners the Glazers and received two confirmed bids ahead of last Friday's 'soft' deadline. One is from British billionaire and INEOS founder Ratcliffe, while the other is from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

As reported by Mirror Football, the Glazers are planning to leave behind £500million of debt at Old Trafford if they go through with the sale. Sheikh Jassim confirmed his bid is "completely debt free" in his official statement - but Ratcliffe did not follow suit.

Man Utd takeover: Sir Jim Ratcliffe's bid hides crucial detail that gives Qatar edge

Premier League urged to overhaul ownership rules

The Premier League has been urged to overhaul its ownership rules to prevent human rights abusers such as Qatar from buying clubs such as Manchester United.

“Ever since the Newcastle United takeover we’ve been warning that the door is still wide open for state-linked purchasers to buy their way into the Premier League without the need to meet the necessary ethical standards," Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director.

“The drama at Old Trafford is another urgent reminder that the Premier League needs to overhaul its ownership rules to ensure they’re human rights-compliant.”

Qatar transfer plan for Ten Hag

Manchester United won't embark on a big-spending summer even if their proposed Qatari takeover goes through, it has been claimed.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, has announced a bid for a 100 per cent takeover of the club.

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is among the other bidders, while hedge fund Elliott Investment Management has expressed an interest in financing a bid rather than taking over as owners themselves.

Click here to read more...

Sheikh Jassim's UEFA concerns

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is confident he will not be barred from competing a takeover of Manchester United by UEFA.

There are concerns Sheikh Jassim's bid will be blocked due to his close links with Qatar's ruling elite.

The Arab country's subsidiary Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) already own a controlling share Paris Saint-Germain, which could be deemed as a conflict of interest.

Yet Sheikh Jassim is not believed to be overly worried about this.

He has promised to finance his bid via his Nine Two Foundation - not through QSI - and has dismissed any notion that United will become an effective state-run project.

Sheikh Jassim growing increasingly confident

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is confident he will not be barred from competing a takeover of Manchester United by UEFA.

More to follow...

New name for BT Sport announced

Some news for Manchester United fans to be aware of...

Premier League viewers will be able to watch matches on the newly-named TNT Sports, after BT Sport was bought by Warner Bros Discovery.

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division, confirmed the new name, which will come into force from July 2023. BT Sport has been a broadcaster of Premier League football since 2013.

"We've announced that we're making another important move in our plans with @wbd to bring together the best of BT Sport and Eurosport under one roof," Allera wrote on Twitter. "TNT Sports is the new name that will replace BT Sport, from July 2023."

Osimhen responds to Man Utd interest

Victor Osimhen has told Napoli "it is for the club to decide" his future amid interest from several clubs, including Manchester United.

Osimhen, 24, has scored 18 goals in 19 Serie A appearances this season to help Napoli establish a 15-point lead at the top of the table. Luciano Spalletti's side are set to lift its first Serie A title in 33 years - when Diego Maradona played for them - later this term.

Osimhen's superb record has encouraged the likes of United and Chelsea to take a closer look at him. Both Premier League clubs are in need of a new striker, but the Nigeria international is not interested in discussing his future during a Serie A title race.

Click here to read more...

FFP could halt Qatari spending

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamid Al-Thani may not be able to splash the cash if he is successful in taking over Manchester United from the Glazers.

ESPN report that Al Thani is ready to invest in the squad 'as soon as possible' if he beats off competition from Sir Jim Ratcliffe to buy the club from the Glazers.

But Financial Fair Play regulations could lead to a more 'restrained' approach taken in the transfer market.

Waiting game

The soft deadline passed on Friday – and we are now waiting for the next steps to emerge.

The Telegraph says the bidders are anxiously waiting for details from Raine, who will have taken the offers to the Glazers to discuss. One source has told the newspaper: “The ball is very much in the court of the Glazers and Raine now."

Bidders want Glazer statement

The Glazer family have been warned that the sale of Manchester United won’t proceed unless they release a statement confirming they are serious about relinquishing full control of the club.

City A.M. reports that Ratcliffe and Al Thani’s camps are nervously awaiting a statement from the Glazers. The report quotes sources who express concern that the Glazers have not said anything publicly throughout the entire process.

Ratcliffe and Al Thani want the American billionaires to confirm that they are completely serious about selling the club and are not just feeling out the market. There have been concerns that the Glazers could slow down the sale process because they want to wait for more bids to come to light. The report also says bidders have been irked by the Glazers’ insistence that they refrain from any explicit or implicit criticism of the Americans during the process.

Read more here.

Neville concerned by Glazers' actions

Gary Neville is concerned that Manchester United raising season ticket prices is an indication the Glazers could maintain control of the club.

“The increase in ticket prices at United is very odd!” Neville posted on Twitter. “Why would a seller that’s leaving before the next season starts introduce something that has brought them more hate and they won’t benefit from!

“Any new buyer would most likely freeze the price in year 1 to stay on side with fans,” he added, “It does beg the question whether they are really going! I have my doubts with actions like this one!”

Read more here.

Fernandes makes supporter admission

Bruno Fernandes has admitted to being left overwhelmed by the support he has received from United fans.

"It's an amazing feeling to have that connection with the fans," he said. "After two days at the club, I already had a song for me and it's something that makes you feel very special. It makes you feel like this is the right place to be and obviously, it was great for me to have that instant relationship with the fans.

"I've always felt the support from them, even through some difficult moments - where the team wasn't getting the results that we wanted or where I wasn't performing at my best level.

"I know that they will carry on and I just have to pay them back in the best way I can, which is to play my best football."

Premier League urged to overhaul ownership rules

The Premier League has been urged to overhaul its ownership rules to prevent human rights abusers such as Qatar from buying clubs such as Manchester United.

“Ever since the Newcastle United takeover we’ve been warning that the door is still wide open for state-linked purchasers to buy their way into the Premier League without the need to meet the necessary ethical standards," Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director.

“The drama at Old Trafford is another urgent reminder that the Premier League needs to overhaul its ownership rules to ensure they’re human rights-compliant.”

Bidders told to stop Glazer attacks

The Raine Group have told both Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani to scale back their attacks of the Glazers' ownership of the club.

Both parties have made returning United to its glory years a key pledge to fans, though this has been interpreted as an attack of the current regime.

According to BBC Sport the two official bidders for a full takeover have been told to stop making 'vitriolic public statements.

Qatar bid has path to UEFA approval

The Qatar-backed bid for Manchester United appears to have a path to gaining UEFA's approval, despite the Middle East country already owning PSG.

According to an expert on international relations Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani's bid has some separation from the government.

“Jassim doesn’t hold any government positions, nor, indeed, has his father done for many years. Much of the son’s fortune is based on his father’s wealth, which is thought to run into the billions, further enhanced by his own involvement in QIB and other business ventures," Gerd Nonneman, a professor of international relations and Gulf studies at Georgetown University in Qatar, told The Athletic.

“So, contrary to the investments in Bayern Munich (a Qatar Airways sponsorship deal) or PSG, which were done by entities that were largely funded by the state and/or very senior members of the ruling family, this case is different.

“Of course, we don’t know who else, apart from HBJ, might have a stake in Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two investment vehicle, but there doesn’t seem to be any controlling stake by any government entity of any of the actual ruling group.”

United raise season ticket prices

Manchester United are raising the prices of adult season tickets next season amid a significant increase in the cost of putting on matches.

The Red Devils will increase prices by 5 per cent, the first time they have done so after 11 successive seasons of price freezes.

United have told supporters that costs have risen by 40 per cent in the last five years, with the club opting to raise season ticket prices in a bid to combat it.

Potential bidder pulls out

At least one bidder pulled out of a bid for Manchester United over the high price tag the Glazers have slapped on the club.

The Americans are believed to be hoping to raise in the region of £6billion in return for a sale of the Premier League giants.

But the New York Times report at least one potential buyer pulled out as they believed it was worth no more than £3bn.

Good morning

Good morning and welcome to Mirror Football's live blog for all the latest news from the takeover of Manchester United.

That's all for today!

Thank you for joining Mirror Football's live coverage of all things related to the sale of Manchester United.

We'll be back bright and early on Tuesday for more of the same.

See you then!

Amnesty sends Qatar takeover warning

Amnesty International shares the concerns of Manchester United fans over the Qatari bid for Mancheter United.

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the chair of one of Qatar's largest banks, is leading a takeover bid from the Middle Eastern state, which hosted the World Cup last year and was in the spotlight for its poor human rights record and persecution of LGBTQ+ citizens.

"Fan groups are right to be concerned that a Qatari buyout of Manchester United is likely to be part of a wider programme of Qatari sportswashing, where the glamour of football is used to refashion the country's image regardless of serious and systematic human rights abuses," said Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK's economic affairs director.

FULL STORY: Demand made to Glazers

The Glazer family have been warned that the sale of Manchester United won’t proceed unless they release a statement confirming they are serious about relinquishing full control of the club.

City A.M. reports that Ratcliffe and Al Thani’s camps are nervously awaiting a statement from the Glazers. The report quotes sources who express concern that the Glazers have not said anything publicly throughout the entire process.

Ratcliffe and Al Thani want the American billionaires to confirm that they are completely serious about selling the club and are not just feeling out the market. There have been concerns that the Glazers could slow down the sale process because they want to wait for more bids to come to light. The report also says bidders have been irked by the Glazers’ insistence that they refrain from any explicit or implicit criticism of the Americans during the process.

Ratcliffe's bid hides crucial detail

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have NOT promised to wipe Manchester United's existing debt, which may concern some supporters.

United have been put up for sale by owners the Glazers and received two confirmed bids ahead of last Friday's 'soft' deadline. One is from British billionaire and INEOS founder Ratcliffe, while the other is from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

As reported by Mirror Football, the Glazers are planning to leave behind £500million of debt at Old Trafford if they go through with the sale. Sheikh Jassim confirmed his bid is "completely debt free" in his official statement - but Ratcliffe did not follow suit.

Takeover hopefuls issue Glazers plea

Manchester United's would-be owners are keen for the Glazers to clear up their stance on selling the club and allay concerns they are not serious about ending their tenure at Old Trafford.

There has been growing speculation that the American tycoons could accept external investment and stay on at Old Trafford, especially if their asking price for the club is not met.

City A. M. reports Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the group of Qatari investors that have bid for United would like the Glazer family to make a public announcement of their intent to sell the Red Devils.

FULL STORY: Lindelof's warning

Victor Lindelof is wary of Manchester United players becoming distracted by the ongoing sale of the club in the midst of a crucial fixture run.

The defender, 28, insists he and his teammates can only keep "focusing on our performances" ahead of three successive knockout games followed by a trip to arch-rivals Liverpool.

It would be easy for United players to get caught up in the uncertainty surrounding the club's future, especially as the process will not be over quickly. As such, Lindelof insists the only way to approach the upcoming run of matches is to block out all the noise that comes with a takeover.

Major takeover update for Man Utd's rivals

Manchester United may be up for sale, but Liverpool are only open to new investment.

That is because Liverpool owner John W. Henry has ruled out Fenway Sports Group selling the club. The American firm has been in charge on Merseyside since purchasing the club in 2010 for £300million. Fast forward nearly 13 years and Liverpool are valued at roughly $4.5billion (£3.7bn) due to the astonishing growth of the Premier League and a number of prosperous seasons under Jurgen Klopp.

Potential buyers for Liverpool have proved hard to come by in recent weeks and it had grown increasingly clear that a new investor coming to the table was more likely that a full sale. Henry rarely speaks in public but clarified his stance on selling Liverpool to Boston Sports Journal on Monday, ruling out ending his association with the club.