Man United bidders have NOT been told that the club will be taken off the market as talks with Glazers continue after £600m share price drop

While Manchester United’s share price suffered a record drop following the Mail on Sunday’s report that the Glazers were to take the club off the market, sources close to the two bidders in the takeover race on Tuesday night disclosed they had not been informed that the sale was off – while those close to the process said nothing had changed.

United stock plunged by 21 per cent at one stage as the New York Stock Exchange reacted to the report.

The club’s owners, the Glazers, announced last November that they would explore investment options, including the prospect of a full sale.

However, 10 months have passed and the Americans, despised by large sections of United’s support, remain in charge.

Fans have already launched protests and reacted with dismay following the report, which said the Glazers were going to take United off the market, having failed to find a bid close to their anticipated asking price.

Manchester United bidders have not been told that the club will be taken off the market

However, insiders in both the camps of Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe said they had not been informed of such a conclusion.

Sources with knowledge of the process added that negotiations were continuing. 

Both bids were around the £5bn mark, some way short of the Glazers’ valuation. 

The talks are aimed at bridging what is a substantial gap.