British Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made it known through his organization, Ineos, that he is interested in buying Manchester United.
In November, owners of Manchester United, the Glazer family, said that they were “examining strategic alternatives,” including the possibility of selling the club.
Ineos claims that the company has “officially entered the process.”
Naija News recalls that Ratcliffe tried to buy Chelsea for £4.25 billion in a last-minute proposal last year after Russian owner Roman Abramovich put the London club up for sale.
Ratcliffe is one of the richest men in the UK. He has been a Manchester United supporter his entire life. His wealth is believed to be between £11 billion and £6 billion, making him the 27th richest person in the UK.
The Glazer family have been the owners of Manchester United since 2005. The club is currently fourth in the Premier League after an improvement in the form under manager Erik ten Hag, who took over in the summer.
His petrochemicals company, Ineos, has yearly revenues of around £50 billion and employs over 26,000 people in 29 nations.
Ratcliffe claimed he would have sought to purchase United after failing to do so with Chelsea, but after speaking with Joel and Avram Glazer, he claimed they had no interest in selling.
He has since joined the bidding process as the Glazers’ position has since shifted.
Recent years have seen several anti-Glazer rallies, notably one in May 2021 that forced the postponement of United’s home league game against Liverpool.
Before the same game this season, in August, thousands of fans demonstrated at Old Trafford.
The sole advisor to United is American investment company Raine Group, which oversaw Chelsea’s £4.25 billion sale in May. The American company has been given the responsibility to oversee the sale of Manchester United this year.