Man United ownership: Sir Jim Ratcliffe confirms his intent to buy the club from Glazers

First Published Aug 18, 2022, 8:41 AM IST

The Glazer family has owned Manchester United since 2005. However, the fans have been unimpressed about how the Americans run the club. Meanwhile, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has again confirmed his desire to purchase the club.

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English giants Manchester United is not having the best time since the last season, as it has been highly irregular in terms of winning. Changing managers almost every two seasons is not helping out either. It finished sixth last season in the English Premier League (EPL), missing out on the UEFA Champions League (UCL), while it is already winless in the opening two games of the season so far. Thus, the fans have again protested against its owners, the Glazers, about not backing new head coach Erik ten Hag with enough funds for player signings. Meanwhile, British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has again confirmed his desire to own the club.

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Recent reports have suggested that the Glazers are open to seeking a new investment into the club and are willing to sell minority stakes of the club, frustrated by endless protests by the fans against them. In the meantime, a Ratcliffe spokesperson confirmed to The Times that the British billionaire has been a life-long United fan. After failing to own Chelsea a few months back, he is again eager to purchase the Red Devils.

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“If the club is for sale, Jim is a potential buyer. If something like this were possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership. It is not about the money that has been spent or not spent. Jim is looking at what can be done now, and knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset,” said Ratcliffe’s spokesperson.

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Currently, it is unclear which stakes the Glazers would be willing to offer. While conflicting reports have claimed that the Americans could be open to selling the club partially/fully, the club currently happens to be valued at over £5 billion. Notably, Ratcliffe owns Ligue 1 club Nice and had a chance to own Chelsea for £4.25 billion rejected after his offer came following the deadline.

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