Manchester United will be aiming to rubber-stamp their place in the Champions League on Sunday afternoon as they take on Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils currently sit fourth in the table and six points clear of Unai Emery’s men with two games in-hand. A win then would go a long way in booking the Red Devils’ return to Europe’s top table.
That could hand an inadvertent boost to the supporters’ hopes of a takeover being completed sooner rather than later. The deadline for final bids has already passed with the Glazer family now set to decide on the next stage.
With all of that being said, take a look at all of the news coming out of Old Trafford right now:
Ratcliffe outbids Sheikh Jassim
Sir Jim Ratcliffe may have taken the lead in the race to buy Manchester United after his third bid valued the club higher than his main rival, Sheikh Jassim.
The takeover has entered a critical phase after passing the third and final deadline for offers on Friday at 10pm. Both Ratcliffe and his INEOS group and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and his Qatari Nine Two Foundation submitted revised offers to Raine Group, the US bank overseeing the process for the Glazer family.
Ratcliffe might have the edge over the Qataris because INEOS’ bid is higher. The petrochemicals giant, which already owns French club Nice, are the only bid to value United at over £5billion.
Ten Hag identifies Casemiro successor
Erik ten Hag is eyeing a move for Southampton wonderkid Romeo Lavia as he searches for a potential replacement for Casemiro.
According to The Independent, The Dutchman is a huge admirer of the ex-Man City starlet. He is thought to be keeping an eye on the 19-year-old’s development and could become a long-term successor to Casemiro in the future should he continue his impressive progress.
Should United seal a deal for his services, their rivals City would be due 20% of Southampton’s sell-on having slotted a clause into the deal that initially took him to St Mary’s.
Find out the latest on a potential switch here
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Maguire U-turn
Harry Maguire could be forced to quit Manchester United this summer due to concerns over his England place. The Red Devils captain has endured a woeful campaign at Old Trafford - his first under the stewardship of Erik ten Hag.
Despite previous reports suggesting he was keen to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place, reports suggest that he could be forced to perform a u-turn in order to preserve his international career
