Erik ten Hag is reportedly ‘concerned’ by the delay to the Manchester United takeover.
Manchester United was effectively put up for sale last November as the Glazer family announced their intentions to seek ‘strategic alternatives’ to the financing of the club.
Since then, Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and Ineos’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe have both tabled bids to take control of the club, while there are a number of investment firms that are willing to take a minority stake.
The last and supposedly final bids were submitted on April 28th, with Sheikh Jassim having made a move to purchase 100% of the club, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid to purchase 50% of the club would allow some of the Glazers to retain a minority stake in the club, with Joel and Avram Glazer thought to be keen on staying.
Since the final bids were submitted, there has seemingly been no progress in the process, with the interested parties yet to hear from The Raine Group as the owners deliberate on what to do, despite the end of the season being less than a month away.
It had been hoped that a takeover could be completed before the end of the season, although that now looks increasingly unlikely, and according to the Mirror, the delays to the process have left Erik ten Hag ‘concerned’.
The Dutchman has enjoyed a largely positive first season in charge, winning the Carabao Cup, reaching the FA Cup final, and needing just nine points from their remaining nine games to confirm their return to the Champions League.
However, with the future of the club still uncertain, the report says that the club have put a ‘freeze’ on their budget, ‘preventing any recruitment of external consultants’.
Ten Hag has reportedly sought ‘direction’ from Chief Executive Richard Arnold, though ‘total clarity has not been forthcoming’, with there even being uncertainty as to who will be in the boardroom once a potential takeover has been completed.
Despite their decent season, it is widely accepted that Ten Hag still has a big rebuilding job to do at Old Trafford, with a potentially club-record transfer needed to bring in a prolific number nine that has sorely been missing this term, with Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen among the club’s top targets.
Aside from a striker, the club are also in need of a midfielder, goalkeeper and central defender, while they have also been linked with strengthening at right-back.
