Manchester United takeover timeline amid Sir Jim Ratcliffe's imminent arrival

Manchester United have been in limbo for more than a year while the Glazers have carried out their strategic review but, just in time for Christmas, there are some positive reports about the takeover saga being completed.

In November, Sir Jim Ratcliffe distanced himself as the favourite to purchase a minority stake in United after Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani withdrew from the process. Richard Arnold's departure as CEO during that month's international break was seen by many as a precursor for INEOS' imminent arrival.

However, delays in the process let the saga drag on further, but fresh reports from The Times suggest a deal could be completed by Christmas with some murmurings suggesting it may have been rubber stamped on Friday afternoon. Here's how the next few weeks might look.

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The suggestion is Ratcliffe could arrive before Christmas. However, with Christmas Day coming on Monday, it seems unlikely he will be at Carrington until the New Year. An official announcement could be saved until January 2 onwards which will set off a chain of events.

Before any official announcement by the club, the Glazers are required by the stock market to notify the NYSE at least 10 minutes before a press release, as per their regulations.

Once United have announced Ratcliffe's intended arrival, the Premier League will need to ratify the deal. This could take up to eight weeks to confirm as the British billionaire is subjected to the Owners and Directors' test.

This test, which is colloquially referred to as the 'fit and proper persons' test', is used by the Premier League to assess whether a new owner or