Just weeks in the past, there have been strategies that Sheikh Jassim might withdraw from the race amid frustrations over the delay.

Now, nonetheless, BBC Sport journalist Simon Stone has set the report straight.

"I was told a rumour the other day that Sheikh Jassim was about to pull out,” he told The United Stand.

“I checked that, and that was just dismissed.

"There are every kind of rumours however finally folks can really feel the way in which they really feel.

“They could be annoyed. They can imagine that they are in pole place or that they are behind. It comes again to the Glazers.

"The only thing that I would say - and there was a lot of reporting about this - when we were at the period of final deadlines which seems like months ago now, after that more bids came in from Sheikh Jassim.

“That was off the back of Sir Ratcliffe."

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