Is Sir Jim Ratcliffe bidding for Manchester United ownership from Glazers?

Manchester United is up for sale as the Glazers are exploring investment options. Meanwhile, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has long admired the club and could bid for its ownership.

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English giants Manchester United might be on the verge of a revolution and transition, as its owners, the Glazers, are officially exploring new investment opportunities into the club, which includes a full-scale sale. Immediately, the club is linked to several potential suitors, including Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has long been an admirer of the club. He missed out on a chance to own the club when Glazers entered the fray. While his firm owns the French side OGC Nice, he also intended to purchase Chelsea before missing out on Todd Boehly. Although he had ruled out last month that he would not bid for the club since the Glazers don’t intend on selling it, it could all change with the latter’s latest statement.

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Ratcliffe was also linked to Liverpool’s proposed sale before his firm ruled out a move for any English Premier League (EPL) side. However, The Telegraph now reports that United being potentially up for sale could compel the Brit to change his mind. While the Glazers intend on asking a price of more than £5 billion to sell United, Ratcliffe might have to overpay to get the deal done.

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Ratcliffe’s firm INEOS has already studied the possible investments into the club and has ruled that the value its investment value into the club could increase in the next three years. However, despite being a United fan, the Brit would prioritise ‘business logic before passion’. Besides owning Nice, INEOS also has investments in Formula 1, cycling and the Swiss football club Lausanne. While it would not be disallowed from owning multiple football clubs, United would not be allowed to face another INEOS-owned team in Europe if Ratcliffe held Old Trafford.