The Athletic reporter David Ornstein says there is a general “consensus” that Manchester United will be sold “after the transfer window” closes.

The trusted journalist was reacting to claims that Sheikh Jassim is set to buy the club for £6 Billion, when he said:

“The big unanswered question is whether the Glazers will really sell Manchester United when push comes to shove. So far we haven’t had an answer yet but perhaps we are getting towards it now. There was a consensus that this [the takeover] will get a resolution after the transfer window.”

It is certainly not the confirmation that United supporters would have hoped for but it does appear as if things are moving towards a conclusion.

The Nine Two Foundation has always been favourites to buy United

The Qatar bid, fronted by Sheikh Jassim, has been pushing the Glazers to sell, having made no less than five bids for the club since the Red Devils were put up for sale last year.

Nice and INEOS Group owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been their main rivals but it was reported a couple of months ago that his proposal was effectively dead in the water.

When could United have new owners?

The Sun report (that Ornstein was asked to comment on) states that Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation are hoping to complete a deal by mid-October.

The English tabloid suggest that the date for the takeover has been “pencilled in” and an announcement confirming the deal could happen as early as “next month”. However, it must be pointed out that no other sources have corroborated this story so far.

Fans should remain wary about such claims, considering there have been a number of similar reports before. Ornstein’s belief that something will happen after the transfer window shuts does, though, offer some cause for optimism.