Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly mulling over a change in his approach to the Manchester United bidding process.
It is believed that the Englishman had established his interest in the form of majority control of the 20-time champions, with his numerous offers looking to acquire the club and leave the Glazer family with little to no say in its running.
However, as the ordeal reaches almost a year – from when the Americans opened up to outside investment – Ratcliffe is seemingly at his wits end waiting for a response. Consequently, he could buy a minority stake in United, as per Sky News.
Unbelievable if reports are true that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is contemplating buying a minoring stake (25%) in Manchester United rather than seeking full control. Feels like a slap in the face to fans that the gimps could remain in control. #GlazersOut pic.twitter.com/ZPuDRiVNNx
— Dale O'Donnell (@ODonnellDale) October 2, 2023
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is the only other investor wanting a complete takeover but is yet to hear whether his blockbuster bids were successful.
Ratcliffe’s fresh stance
INEOS CEO Ratcliffe has presented a proposal that would see him hold a 25% stake and buy shares from both the Glazers and the publicly traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange.
Sky’s update states: “It would need to be pitched at a valuation that the Glazers would accept, implying that Ineos Sports could spend in the region of £1.5bn if it was to acquire a quarter of United’s shares – based on earlier reports that they were seeking a minimum valuation of £6bn.”
