Manchester United takeover latest as Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'provides INEOS reassurance'

Manchester United supporters are patiently waiting for news on the takeover with Sir Jim Ratcliffe remaining in pole position to invest in the club.

After Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani announced he had withdrawn from the process due to the Glazers' valuation of the club, attention swiftly turned to the only remaining figure in the race. INEOS founder Ratcliffe chose to restructure his bid during the process and is now expected to acquire a minority stake in the Reds rather than a majority one.

Should the deal go through, Ratcliffe will hold a 25 per cent stake in United and is understood to still be interested in buying the whole club in the future. As the MEN Sport takeover headlines below show, the British billionaire is continuing to make strides towards an official announcement.

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According to a report by Bloomberg, Ratcliffe has told shareholders at INEOS that the bid to acquire a stake in United will be financed through his own personal wealth rather than using company funds. It is claimed creditors at INEOS were told this by executives at INEOS Quattro.

While the United venture is seen as a 'private project', INEOS shareholders Andy Currie and John Reece are expected to be involved in Ratcliffe's investment, as they are with the Mercedes F1 team.

Scholes has warned Ratcliffe has a lot to do at United - identifying the stadium, the training ground and the playing squad as areas of the club in need of improvement.

"He’s got a lot to do at this football club," Scholes told TNT Sports before United's Champions League clash against Copenhagen. "For me, this is a world-class