Sir Jim Ratcliffe's verdict after Glazer meeting as Manchester United takeover drags on

Sir Jim Ratcliffe described Joel and Avram Glazer as "proper gentlemen" following his first meeting with the Manchester United owners.

The owner of petrochemical firm INEOS is hoping to purchase the Old Trafford outfit from the Glazers, although he will have to beat Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani in order to do so. The current regime announced their decision to sell up all the way back in November, with the takeover process now set to enter its eighth month.

Five rounds of bidding have taken place, with both bidders' teams meeting with the current owners following the first round of bidding back in March. Failsworth-born Sir Jim attended those meetings in person, although it is not the first time he met the Glazers.

The British billionaire has held a public interest in purchasing the club he supported as a boy for some time but submitted a bid for Chelsea last year before Roman Abramovich eventually sold to Todd Boehly's consortium as he believed the Glazers wouldn't be selling up any time soon. That view came about after Sir Jim met Avram and Joel - and he gave a glowing reference to the pair as he shared details of the meeting last year.

READ MORE: Manchester United takeover news LIVE

"Manchester United is owned by the Glazer family, whom I have met," the Lancashire-born businessman revealed in October, speaking at an event hosted by the Financial Times. "I've met Joel and Avram and they are the nicest people, I have to say, they are proper gentlemen.

"If it had been for sale in the summer then, yes, we would have probably had a go following on from the Chelsea thing. But we can't sit around hoping that one day Manchester United will become available. We have an exciting sporting franchise, but the