Man Utd takeover LIVE: Sheikh Jassim dealt major blow as Red Devils plot Newcastle hijack

Manchester United's ongoing takeover process remains very much up in the air, with Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe still in the running to buy the club from the Glazer family as things stand. The former has been leading a Qatari delegation bidding to take control of United from their current owners over the last eight months, while Ratcliffe is fronting a proposal to purchase a 50 per cent stake in the Red Devils.

The process has been raging on for a number of months now, with United fans no closer to knowing which bidder will be successful due to a lack of concrete updates in spite of the endless speculation. The majority of fans appear to prefer the idea of Sheikh Jassim being given the green light, with Ratcliffe's proposal said to involve the Glazers staying on as minority shareholders at Old Trafford.