Manchester United takeover news live Sir Jim Ratcliffe camp 'meets Glazers' plus West Ham reaction

Manchester United are once again licking their wounds after another defeat in the Premier League. The Reds were abject in Saturday's 2-0 loss to West Ham.

Rasmus Hojlund is yet to score in 14 league matches while the team as a whole have not scored in four. Many are questioning Erik ten Hag's transfer policies as a result.

A number of fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is set to assume sporting control upon his arrival. Reports suggest his entourage met with the Glazers last week with positive talks held.

However, his £1.3billion investment has not yet been ratified and he might not get his feet under the desk for at least another month. The Christmas period coupled with lengthy owner regulation tests mean the 71-year-old might not in place until February.

Keep tabs on the latest takeover news and transfer rumours from United below.

The Times says it is likely that Joel Glazer will withdraw from plans to be part of the panel that oversees sporting matters at United, with Ineos set to take sole control of the football side of the club.

The report says the drawn-out process of Ratcliffe’s arrival is due to legal matters amid discussions about how the sporting and commercial sections of the club will be split.

The said panel was supposed to be made up of Ratcliffe, Joel Glazer and Sir Dave Brailsford. However, Joel Glazer may now not be involved.

Below is the opening extract from Samuel Luckhurst's match report.

West Ham's best team in decades was not good enough to finish above Manchester United's worst team in decades two seasons ago. Now, West Ham are above United.

Four games without a goal, a -5 goal difference and more defeats this season than in the entirety of last season constitute