"It is understood..." - Journalist claims Man Utd takeover could be in 'jeopardy' if specific factor not met

Manchester United's potential takeover could be in jeopardy if a deal is not agreed before the end of the season according to a journalist.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are currently the only two bidders but have offered no more than £4.5bn for the club which is short of the Glazer's £6bn valuation.

There is rumoured to be interest from a third party over a minority stake in the Red Devils but nothing has been made public yet.

United have been plunged into even more chaos following their 7-0 humiliation to Liverpool on Sunday which was their worst defeat in over 90 years.

It's a signal that the team still needs significant investment if it is to dominate again so having new owners in place before the summer transfer window is a must.

According to the Guardian, 'It is understood that if no agreement is reached before the end of the season this may put a deal in jeopardy. The new owner would ideally want to put in place a transfer policy for the summer window.'

Bidders summoned for Old Trafford talks

Despite not meeting the current valuation, both bidders have advanced to the next stage of the process and will head to Old Trafford in the next fortnight for the first set of talks.

The third as yet unnamed bidder has also been invited and the meeting will allow all parties to get a clearer picture of United's finances, according to the Mail Online.

Despite this development, there is still said to be frustration among some over the lack of access to club accounts which would allow them to see just how much investment is needed to develop the club's infrastructure.

It's no secret that both United's training ground at Carrington and Old Trafford need of a major update, with reports of up to £2bn being needed to revamp the iconic stadium.