MANCHESTER UNITED senior staff have been left stunned by the takeover U-turn.
Old Trafford employees had been gearing up for a full buy-out of the club this month by Qatari Sheikh Jassim.
Senior Man Utd staff were braced for a full takeover by Sheikh Jassim’s Qatari team
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now set to snap up 25 per cent of the clubPA
A number had even been told not to book any annual leave for this month to help see the takeover through.
Meetings were still going on last week to try and rescue the Qatari bid which was for a 100 per cent sale at £5billion.
It is understood a number of the six strong Glazer family who are on the club board were happy to sell.
But co-chairman Joel Glazer, who was in control of the process, was the one wanting to either keep a majority shareholding or accept an increased bid of £6bn.
That led to the frustrated Qatari team pulling out over the weekend after 12 months of work to buy the club.
They had even been to Carrington to meet director of football John Murtough to get insight into how the club was being run on the playing side.
They, like second bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, were said to have been impressed and neither were looking to radically shake things up.
Ineos Chief Executive Ratcliffe has now been left as the sole bidder and that is just for 25 per cent of the club for £1.4bn with a condition he can oversee football operations.
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A board vote on Thursday will decide whether to accept it.
The news that there will be no full sale has dramatically hit the club’s share price with it down 11 per cent in early trading on Monday.
There has also been outrage amongst fans groups who want rid of the Glazer family from Old Trafford.
Security is now being increased for the next home game against Copenhagen a week today with protests expected.
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