It has been a back-and-forth battle between Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim to become the new owner at Man Utd as the Glazers seek fresh investment in the football club. The process has been ongoing for many months and according to Bloomberg there has been a further update which may finally give the fanbase, tired of the Glazers era in charge, an idea of where this process is heading.
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”soe/manchester_united” size=”350×300″ rows=”5″ style=”fraction” site_id=”lastwordonsports”]
Glazers May Not Relinquish Full Control as owners of Man Utd
Watch: Meet the man behind United’s digital presence
Qatari Bid for Full Control
Sheikh Jassim entering the race to buy the Red Devils gathered excitement among fans as he offered to buy a 100% controlling stake and help bring an end to the current regime. However, his take-it-or-leave offers have not had the desired effect with the most recent bid believed to be around the £6 billion mark.
It has been months since the final offer from the Qatari banker, although it has been a frustrating process as the club’s hierarchy still sees value in remaining as part shareholders at the very least. This has opened the door for the only other serious bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has changed his approach in recent months to make himself a more favourable bidder in the eyes of the current owners.
Chairman of Ineos Group Improves Offer
Jim Ratcliffe according to the Bloomberg report: “is emerging as the frontrunner to buy into English football giants Manchester United Plc, people with knowledge of the matter said, with the British billionaire’s recently revised offer giving him the edge over a rival proposal from Qatari investors.”
There are rumours that he is looking to purchase a 25% stake and eventually buy out the Glazers in full and become the new controlling owner at Old Trafford. This change of approach is likely due to the seemingly endless and drawn-out process currently ongoing as both interested parties had originally sought to become controlling shareholders.
Read More: Analysing Man Utd’s Five Biggest Signings of the Glazer’s Era & What Went Wrong
This may just be another PR stunt as the Glazers seek improved terms but there does seem to be merit to the idea that they will remain a part of the football club under a new regime, cashing in on the rewards of another party’s potential success. The bad news for United fans is that it is clear there is a long way to go before a new period of ownership begins.
