Manchester United owners aren't doing what they promised in takeover talks

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.

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.

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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,