Man Utd warned takeover delay could stop progress under Erik ten Hag as Rio Ferdinand questions if Glazers really do want to sell

Rio Ferdinand has called for Manchester United's off-field matters to be resolved in order to allow Erik ten Hag and his side to move forward.

WHAT HAPPENED? United have spent big in the summer window, bringing in Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund as the club looks to improve on last season's third-place finish. However, two unconvincing home wins over Wolves and Nottingham Forest either side of a loss away at Spurs has seen the fans, and pundits alike, begin to worry about their future prospects, Ferdinand being one of them.

WHAT THEY SAID: The former United defender wrote in his Daily Mirror column: «It is almost nine months since the Glazers put up a ‘For sale’ sign at Old Trafford. Yet no one knows whether they actually have any ­intention of cashing in or staying put. A few weeks ago, I was told that a sale was ­imminent – and absolutely nothing ­materialised. The only crumb of ­comfort for United supporters is that neither Sheikh Jassim nor Sir Jim Ratcliffe have called the Glazers’ bluff and walked away.

»But it’s impossible to be certain of anything, because the people who own the club have maintained such an ­undignified silence. It has now got to the point where the temperature of the fanbase is starting to rise again. And if that is allowed to go unchecked then Erik ten Hag and his players will find themselves at the ­centre of a storm that is not of their making."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The United fanbase has long wanted new owners, organising a number of protests against the Glazer family over the years, none more famous than of May 2021 as fans stormed the ground, causing their home match against Liverpool to be postponed. Fans decided to stay inside Old Trafford after yesterday's victory over Nottingham