Sir Jim Ratcliffe considers former Liverpool sporting director to oversee Manchester United’s new era

The Independent has been told that negotiations on a minority stake have actually been taking place since May, with INEOS quickly realising that the Glazers had no real intention of selling outright.

As regards the eventual football structure, there have been tentative private conversations, but Ratcliffe and his staff want to properly survey how the club works when they are in place before making firm decisions.

That means any overt influence in January is unlikely, if the deal is even confirmed by then. Former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards is admired by INEOS, to go with talk of Paul Mitchell and Dougie Freedman. It is uncertain, however, whether Edwards would want to get back into football.

Michael Edwards with Jurgen Klopp and Mike Gordon after the German’s contract extension in 2019

Any such appointments would form a group feeding up to Jean-Claude Blanc under Ratcliffe, with input from Sir Dave Brailsford.

As regards when confirmation may finally come, those involved are waiting for the green light, since the stock exchange has to be informed within 24 hours.

The nature of the discussions so far, however, has taught everyone not to be definitive about timeframes.

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