The frontrunner in the Manchester United takeover Sheikh Jassim has already made five bids to purchase the English powerhouse with his final offer to buy 100 percent of the club in a debt-free deal made on June 7th. Sources close to the Qatari tycoon now reveal that the process has stalled amid concerns the Glazer family are not sure they want to sell or keep the club. Sheikh Jassim still wants ownership of Manchester United and his £5bn offer for the club remains on the table. His competitor Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made rival bids to buy 69 percent of the club owned by the Glazer family in a phased takeover. The Qatari tycoon's bid team are aware that of reports he is close to buying the Red Devils but the situation is yet to change as far as he is concerned. Sheikh Jassim's ambition is clear but ultimately it is up to the Glazers Family to decide if they actually want to keep or sell the club.

Concerns, however, are being raised by involved bid teams because the longer the process drags on the more it costs the bidders as they all have to pay bankers, advisers, and lawyers. The bidders, however, are more than ready to move quickly if the Glazers' decision is to sell. As far as transfers and new signings are concerned, the Qatari bid has never identified any targets or talked about potential signings because their focus has been solely on buying United. However, it has been rumored that Sheikh Jassim wishes to have Kylian Mbappe as his first signing in the event that his bid is successful. This open transfer window would have probably looked different for United if the club had already been sold as it is reported that the Glazers are weary and cautious of using too much money in the transfer market only to end up selling the club. 

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The Qatari bid remains committed to investing in infrastructure, wiping out United's debts, and investing in both the men's and women's teams in addition to the academy. Senior managerial figures at United are reportedly in the dark about what is happening with the takeover. They would, however, welcome a conclusion to the process as soon as possible and it is also reported that the Qatari bid is popular and has support within United's ranks. 

The Glazers first made an announcement in November last year about their intention to sell the club and in a statement, United said their owners would look at options to bring in new investment including "a sale or other transactions involving the company". The Glazers bought Manchester United in the year 2005 in a controversial £790m leveraged buyout. This particular buyout involved borrowing a debt of more than £500m and loading their debt onto the club. Servicing the debt has cost the club in excess of £1bn while the latest club's accounts revealed that United's debt stands at £725m. 

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe who is looking to purchase United via his company INEOS reportedly values the club at a higher price but their bid is to purchase the club partially and would allow the Glazers Family an opportunity to keep a minority stake of 20 percent if their bid were to be successful. Sources earlier today, however, revealed that the Qataris were close to purchasing Manchester United although it is also reported that different members of the Glazer family have different views about the sale of the club as some want the sell while others think that it is not the right time to do so yet. As things stand, both Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are willing buyers but the Glazer family do not appear to be willing sellers, and to close a deal, there must be a buyer and a seller. A lot of Manchester United fans across the globe want the takeover situation sorted out as quickly as possible and feel like the matter is dragging on for a long. Most people had thought that the clarity of the process would have been seen before the close of this open transfer window but as things stand, this is far from happening. The buck stops with the Glazers family as Manchester United is currently under their ownership. So will they sell it wholly, sell a stake in United, or keep the club all to themselves? 

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