Rio Ferdinand has been celebrating the news Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani may well be set to complete a takeover of Manchester United.

What's the lateat MUFC takeover news?

With Premier League football now over, fans can turn their attention to off-field matters. And while most supporters will be focusing on transfers, the Man Utd faithful have other things to contemplate.

After all, it appears their club could be sold during the summer with negotiations rumbling on for a number of months now.

Ineos billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been seen as the leading candidate at times, but recent reports have suggested that the Glazers may now be set to sell entirely to Sheikh Jassim.

Following on from this line of thinking, former Red Devil Ferdinand has also heard some information about the takeover which has had him singing "Hallelujah".

Indeed, while speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel, he said: "Man United takeover is imminent. We're hearing the Qatari bid is the one that's taking over, it's the one that is going to be accepted and it's the one that is going to go through.

"Hallelujah, man! We can't wait! Please let this happen, please let it be true man. Look how long it's gone on for, the Glazers have dug their heels in and they're going [to sell too] obviously it seems like the biggest bidder. The person that bids the most money is going to get the club."

He later added: "We're hearing that it's close, we're hearing it's within a matter of days that this is going to happen, it's not hours."

Why do some people have an problem with Sheikh Jassim's bid for Man United?

Many Man Utd fans may well prefer Sheikh Jassim to takeover as this would mean the Glazers leave in a 100% buyout of the club which would also clear United's debt.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's offer, on the other hand, would see the British billionaire – and lifelong United fan – become majority owner, but two of the Glazers would still stay put at Old Trafford.

With that in mind, it's not hard to see why Ferdinand is so happy with the idea that Sheikh Jassim's offer could come good. However, as chairman of QIB — a leading bank in Qatar — he has ties to the state which has come under fire for its alleged human rights abuses.

And so, all this raises the issue of sports washing within football. Although that doesn't appear to be an issue for Ferdinand and many other United supporters…