The ownership of Manchester United could be in for a few more twists and turns including Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family.
It has been over a year and a half since Ineos took charge of Manchester United when Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a £1.2bn takeover.
Since then, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s stake in United has grown to 29% after his own personal investment – including a £50m renovation of Carrington.
It means that the Glazer family still own a majority stake in United, but Ratcliffe and his Ineos team have been handed sporting control at Old Trafford.
There is a clause that could trigger a United takeover, forcing Ratcliffe to sell his shares if another bidder comes in with a suitable offer.
Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United FC, looks on
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has ‘zero appetite’ to sell Man United
Ratcliffe’s first year as United owner was full of controversy, including mass job cuts and increase in costs for supporters.
Ratcliffe’s net worth took a huge hit which posed questions about how committed he was to his project at Old Trafford.
However, according to the Daily Mail, there is “zero appetite” from Ratcliffe to sell his shares.
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There is an acceptance from Ratcliffe and his team that his project at United is going to take time and getting the Red Devils back to the top of world football is a long-term aspiration.
Sources described the Glazer clause as a “safety mechanism to be used in a Doomsday scenario rather than a likely option”.
Sheikh Jassim’s stance on reigniting a Qatar takeover
During United’s takeover saga, the two main competitors were Ratcliffe and Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim.
Qatar wanted to buy the entirety of United, submitting a rival bid worth just shy of £5bn to the Glazers.
However, Ratcliffe’s minority deal valued the club higher overall and was the preferred bid. Reports have previously suggested that Qatar are still interested in United, but it seems that is no longer the case.
READ MORE: neos ‘could do a deal’ with Sheikh Jassim allies as Man United’s £2bn stadium masterplan explained
The same Daily Mail report claims that Qatar have kept an eye on United but currently have no interest in re-entering a takeover saga.
Qatar have moved onto other sporting projects such as their attempt to host the 2036 Olympics. They consider a bid for United even more difficult now than it was back in 2023.