A total circus, the reason why Erik ten Hag is very upset

The circus surrounding the Man Utd takeover is in full swing and after four months of putting the club on the market it is still unclear how this will end. When it comes to the Manchester United takeover, there isn't really a void that needs speculation to fill, but such is the drama surrounding this soap opera that it's the only thing anyone can talk about, especially during a two-week gap when football has taken a back seat.

The chaos and confusion surrounding what comes next at Old Trafford is playing out in public, but four months after the Glazer family put the club on the market, the endgame is still unclear. Every move, every turn, and every turn is analyzed for clues.

What seems clear is that none of the bidders will meet the £6bn asking price that the Glazers have set for the club, but how much longer can they drag out the process? Is Raine trying to "rush" for the Glazers, as a source said? Playing on the egos of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe and trying to weed out any other potential bidders.

Or is the very public process an attempt to show how valuable this club is as a message to financiers that they should consider offering attractive rates to the Glazers, who decide their value is not met and stay in charge, seeking minority investment? instead? All of those options are being laid out by industry insiders, but right now it's something of a guessing game. The Glazers have left this process open and that is why we have offers to buy the club and offers to invest. Nothing is off the table.

How much longer can Erik ten Hag take in this situation?

The next stage would theoretically be for either Sheikh Jassim or Ratcliffe to gain preferred bidder status. That would allow for an even deeper dive into the books, but there's no guarantee a sale will take place from there, although that would certainly be the most likely outcome at that stage. Those who worked closely with Ten Hag in his first transfer window at the club described a demanding figure who wanted to get things done. If the takeover saga has any impact on that, then he might not be so relaxed about what comes next.