It is claimed INEOS billionaire and Manchester United fan Sir Jim Ratcliffe has moved ahead of Sheikh Jassim in the battle to take control of the club, although that could see the Glazer staying put
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly edged ahead of Sheikh Jassim in the race to buy Manchester United – thanks to his higher valuation of the club.
Both parties submitted their final bids ahead of Friday night’s deadline, with Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim lodging an offer of around £5bn. That would be a world-record price for a sporting club or franchise and see him take full control at Old Trafford.
But according to theDaily Mail,INEOS billionaire and United fan Ratcliffe has issued a bid which would see United priced at more than £5bn. Ratcliffe reportedly wants to buy either 69% of the club or just over 50% – should Joel and Avram Glazer wish to stay involved.
That would be an incredibly controversial move given how detested the Glazers family are by a large section of the United fanbase. However, it is claimed Ratcliffe’s bid has been higher than Sheikh Jassim’s throughout the process.
Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports has reported Ratcliffe’s team are under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), meaning they cannot confirm the exact figure, but their offer is believed to total £5.1bn.
Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim are not the only players in the game. The Glazers are said to have offers for investment in exchange for a partial stake from several US-based groups. A cash injection of between £1bn and £2bn would allow them to redevelop Old Trafford or build a new stadium and revamp the club’s dated training ground.
With the final bids in, the ball is now in the Glazers’ court, with the selection of a preferred bidder and subsequent exclusivity period said to be around a week away.
Despite apparently falling behind Ratcliffe, Sheikh Jassim is said to be already eyeing up the ‘statement’ transfer of Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar, according toThe Sun,who claim signing the Brazilian would be one of his ‘first actions’.
With Lionel Messi set to leave the French capital this summer, possibly to return to Barcelona, question marks have also been raised over the futures of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe after PSG’s quest to win the Champions League again fell short.