The announcement of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of a 25% stake in Manchester United is reportedly set to be delayed further due to legal structural matters and is now only expected to be revealed in a fortnight.
The Ineos chief reached a £1.25bn deal with the Glazer family last month after abandoning the pursuit of a full takeover of The Red Devils.
While still pending formal ratification, the agreement entails Ratcliffe taking control of Manchester United's sporting operations.
According to the Daily Mail, United were hopeful of announcing Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment ahead of the crucial Champions League game against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
However, the report adds that complications arising from the legal structure of the deal may result in a delay to the takeover for another couple of weeks.
If the issues persist without resolution, though, the announcement might be pushed into the New Year due to the upcoming Christmas break.
It is understood that once the announcement is finally made, the approval process is anticipated to span a further six to eight weeks, which could affect the club's plans for the January transfer window.
United claimed an important 2-1 win over Chelsea in midweek and will face another testing encounter this weekend when they take on an improving Bournemouth side at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
Devesh Jaganath
