Manchester United's ownership battle and the time it may take for someone to eventually assume control of the club isn't something that has been clearly defined and is flexible, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest on the ownership situation at Manchester United?

As per BBC Sport, both Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Jim Ratcliffe's petrochemicals firm INEOS have submitted offers to take over Manchester United.

Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim wants to lay claim to 100% control of the club, while INEOS want to buy out 69% of the Glazer family's shares and are open to leaving the rest on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Mirror report that Avram Glazer was spotted leaving a hotel with Sheikh Jassim's father in London known as Claridge's Hotel; however, the outlet understand that the billionaire is set to lose out to Ratcliffe in the ongoing bidding war.

Ratcliffe is said to be 'very confident' of winning control of Manchester United in light of recent discussions involving his firm and The Raine Group, who are intermediaries in the process of the sale.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has said that there is no straight deadline for the deal to be completed.

Jacobs told GMS: "I think the final decision from the Glazers will all just depend on valuation and I still think that there's probably a little more verbal back and forth to come. But the formal deadlines are gone, which means that any interactions are fluid and there's a fair amount, therefore, of back channelling and flexibility also needed from both of the groups, which can allow things to move faster. It's a little bit superficial to put it in transfer terms. But if you think about a transfer, you have a formal bid, and you can have verbal offers and negotiation, and the formal aspect of a listed deadline has perhaps passed and now there's that element of finessing and verbal back and forth, which can allow you to potentially get the deal done a little bit quicker. I think that that's where we're at now, where the groups are communicating and understanding whether or not they have an offer on the table that is being genuinely considered, or they potentially need to adapt and make a new offer."

What about Manchester United on the pitch?

Of course, boardroom matters can't be manipulated or controlled by Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag or his playing staff; however, they can help to make the club a more attractive prospect for new ownership to invest in by finishing the season in a strong fashion.

Securing a top-four finish has to be the priority for the Red Devils, who are guaranteed a Champions League spot if they defeat Bournemouth, Chelsea and Fulham in their last three Premier League matches before the close of play.

Manchester United are also in FA Cup final action in early June against rivals Manchester City, which could yield a second piece of silverware this season following their Carabao Cup win in February.

For Ten Hag, all of his focus will be squarely on the task at hand before gearing up for a busy summer period that could see multiple incomings and outgoings at Old Trafford.