Twitter v Elon Musk: what happens next in the takeover saga?

The judge presiding over the Twitter v Elon Musk trial in Delaware says the case will go ahead on 17 October because neither side has asked for a postponement yet.

This is despite the Tesla chief executive offering this week to buy the business on the terms agreed in April at the $44bn (£39bn) price, performing a U-turn on his July decision to walk away.

Nonetheless, both sides still have to bridge a sizeable gap in trust that has emerged between them in recent months. So what might happen next?

It is also worth remembering that Musk signed a formal agreement to buy Twitter and then attempted to renege on it. Twitter will want certainty that the deal is going to close before requesting a postponement of the trial.

You will struggle to find a legal expert who thinks Musk has a strong chance of walking away from the deal. But if his offer to close the deal does not come off, it will not necessarily count against him, says Quinn.

Nonetheless, by offering to close the deal ahead of the trial, Musk appears to be acknowledging that his chances of success, or avoiding collateral damage, are slim.