The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was just three days old when the Glazer family announced their plan to either sell Manchester United or welcome fresh investment.
But with just two weeks to go until the final day of the Premier League season, the process is continuing to drag on and the supporters' frustrations are mounting. Several protests have been staged throughout the season, including one on mass ahead of the 1-0 win over Aston Villa a fortnight ago, in an attempt to extract the Glazers from Old Trafford.
Still, though, they remain in power. British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani are the leading frontrunners to change that, but it remains a mystery as to how long it may take for United's supporters to get their wish.
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According to recent reports elsewhere, Ratcliffe is making progress with his attempt to become majority shareholder, meaning the Glazers would still have a say in the direction the club heads in. On the other hand, Sheikh Jassim is still determined to oust the Glazers completely and gain full control.
In the midst of this uncertainty, however, Erik ten Hag is the man is suffering. Though the Dutchman, to his credit, has distanced himself from the ongoing speculation and the takeover chatter that is out of his control, it must be playing on his mind as we head closer and closer towards the third transfer window of his tenure.
Ten Hag, who was a popular choice among the supporters when United were searching for their fifth permanent manager of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era just over 12 months ago, has overseen an outstanding job in his debut season at Old Trafford, delivering huge amounts optimism and confidence that he can take the club back to the top. Saturday's 2-0 win over Wolves marked his 38th win from 58 games in charge, meaning United have now won their highest number of games in a single season since the 2010/11 campaign (39). That deserves recognition.
With one trophy already in the bag, a second domestic cup final appearance of the season booked, a top-four finish just six points away and a very impressive number of victories under his belt, the Dutchman has done more than enough to justify his appointment. He has transformed the club's fortunes, despite encountering one or two bumps in the road, very impressively.
He has given United an identity again, restored standards and discipline, and has put the club back on the map. In truth, he has done an outstanding job when you consider the state the club was in only 12 months ago when they finished the campaign 13 points shy of the Champions League places.
Like most managers in the modern era, he has, of course, been helped by the addition of a crop of big-money signings, such as Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Antony. But when you dive a little deeper into United's squad, it is still nowhere near as good as it should be and nowhere near how good Ten Hag wants it to be.
He plans to be ruthless in shifting players out of the club this summer, paving the way for new recruits to come in. But if the takeover situation is not resolved one way or another by the start of the transfer window, will the Glazers be prepared to dive deep into their pockets to support him in the transfer market if they plan to give up their majority stake or sell the club completely?
United need to strengthen a handful of areas this summer, not least their attacking ranks. They desperately need to add an elite-level striker and that will top Ten Hag's wish list. They also want to add a younger and more dynamic midfielder, possibly a new goalkeeper and maybe even a new right-back. All of that won't come cheaply, but Ten Hag has proven he deserves to be backed.
Therefore, with just two weeks of the season remaining, Ten Hag needs clarity as soon as possible on who will be funding his summer recruitment drive. This upcoming transfer window is possibly even more important than last summer's, in the sense that this one could make or break the Reds' hopes of having a genuine stab at winning the title next season.
It is not fair on Ten Hag, following all of the brilliant work he has done so far this season, that he is being left in limbo ahead of such a crucial period. The Glazers have failed the fans for the best part of two decades and they are now threatening to fail the man who has put the club back on the map.
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