Man Utd face a difficult summer balancing the books and with the transfer window now in full swing there is still no clarity over the future ownership of the club.

Joel and Avram Glazer did promise a “thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives” when they announced Manchester United were essentially up for sale, but did anybody really expect this?

Next week will mark seven months since that bombshell statement put potential buyers and investors on alert, but United is still owned and controlled by the Glazer family and nobody really knows what comes next.

Avram Glazer attended the FA Cup final but United’s ownership situation is still unclear (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

It’s been another silly week in the soap opera of this sale. The graph showing the share price on the New York Stock Exchange looks like one of those maps detailing the Tour de France’s most mountainous stages. It peaks every time there is a suggestion a takeover is close, only to dip again when it turns out to be business as usual.

There was social media excitement on Thursday when Companies House published documents showing Sheikh Jassim had set up a company called Nine Two Holdings, only for this to be swiftly downplayed by those involved with the process.

That came at around the same time as an agency report saying that the Qatari bid had been granted exclusivity over further negotiations with the Glazers. Again, those close to the process played down the suggestion. So on we go.

The prospect of a quick resolution also seems distant. Even if Sheikh Jassim was granted exclusivity, the process could extend for another month or two at least. It’s not inconceivable that next season starts with no change in the ownership situation at the club.

There’s also no guarantee that the Glazers will go down the route of selling up entirely, of which the Qatar offer is the only one on the table. Momentum has coalesced around Sheikh Jassim’s bid for 100% control again recently, but Joel and Avram Glazer still have the attraction of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s offer, which would allow them to stay on with a minority shareholding for now.

So uncertain is the process that even those offering minority investment and funding aren’t said to see themselves as out of the running. It’s taken seven months to still not really know what the Glazers want to do.

It’s worth revisiting the statement from Joel and Avram Glazer on the night of November 22 now, the day when it seemed like they had granted the supporters their wish and decided to sell up.

“We will evaluate all options to ensure that we best serve our fans and that Manchester United maximizes the significant growth opportunities available to the club today and in the future,” they said.

“Throughout this process we will remain fully focused on serving the best interests of our fans, shareholders, and various stakeholders.”

Have they remained fully focused? It’s hard to tell really, given how little visible involvement they’ve had in recent years. Avram has been to Wembley three times for cup finals involving the men’s and women’s teams. Joel is said to be still very hands-on on a day-to-day basis.

But in what is an absolutely vital summer for Erik ten Hag, who wants to continue reshaping his squad and build on last season’s efforts, the uncertainty is hovering like a cloud above Old Trafford.

A takeover might not have wildly altered the transfer budget, but it would probably have given Ten Hag and John Murtough a little more freedom in which to operate. Ten Hag wants a goalkeeper, midfielder and striker but it won’t be easily achieved.

It’s worth reflecting on the Dutchman’s comments on the final day of the season. United had just finished third, but Ten Hag wasn’t resting on his laurels and fired a pretty clear warning to the board.

“The club knows if you want to play top four, compete for trophies in this tough league then you have to invest otherwise you don’t have a chance because other clubs will do,” he said.

“We’ve seen it in the winter, all the clubs around us made huge investments, we didn’t, but still we made it, so I’m proud of my team.”

United’s January transfer window only stretched to loan deals for Jack Butland, Marcel Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst. It gave Ten Hag very little to work with.

That has to change ahead of next season but with the takeover continuing to hang over this window, it’s not going to be easy. Seven months on Ten Hag deserved clarity over the ownership situation, but it’s typical of the Glazers that he doesn’t have it.

Source: manchestereveningnews