Man Utd takeover DELAYED! Glazers holding out for £6bn offer with sale now unlikely until May

• United received two £4.5bn bids
• Glazers holding out for £6bn offer
• Although could settle for somewhere in-between

WHAT HAPPENED? That's according to the latest information from The Guardian, who note that the two bids lodged by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe on 17 February were valued somewhere at a maximum of £4.5bn ($5.4bn). It is thought that there is still indecision among the Glazer family over the nature of the eventual sale, with each of the six siblings having their own views on an exit strategy.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Nevertheless, it is reported that a bid closer to £6bn would be enough to satisfy all Glazers, who could even accept an offer placed somewhere between that and the £4.5bn bids already lodged. In any case, this indecision has put paid to the family's desire to have any takeover completed by the end of March, with The Guardian reporting that an end-of-season sale is now the most likely eventuality.

AND WHAT'S MORE: The news is the latest in a host of stumbling blocks since the announcement of the takeover bids almost a fortnight ago. The interest from American hedge fund Elliott Management in investing in - not taking over - the club just over a week ago put the Glazers' departure into serious doubt, an unpopular option for all associated with United which was reflected in the significant drop in the club's share prices the following day.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Despite recent interest to pump investment into the club, a takeover is still very much a viable option, although it remains to be seen how close Sheikh Jassim or Ratcliffe will go to the Glazers' £6bn valuation.