One of England’s richest men, Manchester United supporter Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is interested in buying the Premier League club should it be sold.
A source told Sky Sports News that Ratcliffe, who owns the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team, is serious about buying Unitedand former players will join the Grenadiers general manager, Sir Dave Brailsford, former British Cycling performance director.
The 69-year-old billionaire is chairman and chief executive officer of chemical company Ineos and also owns French Ligue 1 team Nice, which he took over in 2019, and Swiss side FC Lausanne-Sport .
The British billionaire, who has a net worth of $7.18 billion (£5.96 billion), according to Bloomberg, has been unsuccessful in making last-minute bid of £4.25 billion to buy Chelsea in May, when American businessman Todd Boehly successfully acquired the club and Ratcliffe has now turned his attention to the Reds.
His interest comes after a Bloomberg report said that the Glazer family, who have owned United since 2005, were considering selling a minority stake in the club.
Preliminary discussions have been held about attracting a new investor, according to the broadcaster, who ranks Ratcliffe as the sixth-richest person in the UK.
An Ineos spokesperson said the company would be interested in buying a smaller amount of shares with the aim of eventually acquiring the club.
A spokesperson for Ineos told The Times: “If something like this could happen, we would like to speak from a long-term ownership point of view.
“It’s not about money spent or unspent. Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it seems the time has come. reset.”
United President Avie Glazer with Joe Biden in July 2021. Photo: AP
Another source said the Glazer family is not ready to give up a controlling stake and has expectations of a club valuation more than double its current market cap of $2.2 billion ($1.83). billion pounds).
The Glazers are unpopular with United fans, who are unhappy with the club’s ownership model and faltering performances on the pitch, haven’t won a Premier League title in nine years and haven’t won a title. any year.
The team are currently bottom of the table with no points after two games, while United’s net debt has increased by 11% to around £496m at the end of March.
The owner has also been criticized for not renovating the Old Trafford stadium, the country’s largest stadium with a capacity of around 74,000 fans.
Supporters frequently oppose them.
United fans at Old Trafford hold up a banner that reads ‘Glazers Out’ in April. Photo: AP
Manchester United did not comment for the story. The club has declined to comment on the rumors and speculation.
The news came the same day that the founder of Tesla Elon Musk clarified an earlier tweet this seems to suggest he is buying the club.
He later wrote: “I’m not buying any sports teams. Though, if it were any, it would be Man U. They were my favorites as a kid.”
