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Raine Group, who are overseeing Manchester United’s potential takeover, reportedly didn't receive bids from either Sir Jim Ratcliffe or Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani before Wednesday’s (March 22) deadline. The deadline has since been pushed back to facilitate more offers.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani are thought to be the frontrunners in the potential takeover of Manchester United. However, neither party is close to sealing the deal yet.
On Wednesday, initial reports claimed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani had submitted their second bids. It was also reported that the latter was confident that his supposed record bid was the best.
Later that night, conflicting reports emerged, claiming that the Raine Group did not receive bids from either group before the 9 pm (UK time) deadline. According to Sky Sports, both have asked the club for an extension till the end of the week to put in their best bids.
Meanwhile, The Sun claimed that both had tabled offers of close to £5 billion on Wednesday, falling significantly shy of the Glazers’ £6 billion demand. If their asking price is not met, the Glazers could end up selling a minority stake instead. According to the outlet, the Raine Group has pushed the deadline to Friday night (March 24) to receive better offers.
The Manchester Evening News, though, believes that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani could return with their offers on Thursday (March 23) itself.
Manchester United forward Wout Weghorst hits back at critics
Wout Weghorst, who's on a short loan from Burnley, has said that he has performed well at Manchester United. The Dutch striker has claimed that his 18 starts for the Red Devils since January show that he's an important member of the squad.
“That (18 starts) is a lot of matches, and it shows the trust in me,” he told The Sun. It also shows that I am doing a good job for the team. That was the thing I wanted when I came here – to contribute and try and help the club to be successful to win trophies. We have one now (Carabao Cup).”
Despite playing regularly under Erik ten Hag since January, Weghorst has scored only twice for Manchester United
In his defence, Weghorst has been deployed in a deeper role many a time at United, which has hurt his chances of scoring. Ten Hag, though, is happy with his compatriot's displays, as he has often lauded Weghorst for his work ethic and contribution to the press.
