New Man Utd ownership bid deadline set while fans plan more protests against Glazer family

• Prospective United bidders given Friday deadline
• Sheikh Jassim and Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS the frontrunners
• Glazers could remain in control and sell a minority stake

WHAT HAPPENED? The Glazer family and the Raine group - the bank organising the sale process - have set a final deadline of Friday at 10pm for interested parties to make their final bid to purchase the club. And according to The Guardian, the family are expected to choose their preferred bidder by next week. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani and British petrochemicals firm INEOS, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are the two frontrunners after Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus withdrew from the race after criticising how the process had been handled. However, there is still a chance the Glazers will remain in control of the club and instead sell a minority stake to a U.S. hedge fund if bidders don't meet their £6 billion valuation.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: United fans have grown increasingly frustrated with the drawn out process after the Glazers first announced they were pursuing "strategic alternatives to enhance the club's growth" in November. And groups including The 1958 are organising a huge protest before Sunday's match against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, including boycotting the first 18 minutes of the game - one for each year of the Glazers' ownership.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD? The Red Devils are in action against Tottenham in the Premier League on Thursday before hosting Aston Villa on Sunday.