Sir Jim Ratcliffe takes a swipe at the Glazers with a ‘failure’ comment as a ‘date is set’ for Sheikh Jassim’s takeover of Manchester United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made a rare comment on his efforts to buy Manchester United amid claims that Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani will succeed the Glazers at Old Trafford.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has recently commented on his bid to purchase Manchester United, amidst speculation of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani taking over from the Glazers at Old Trafford. The club was initially put up for sale in November 2022, garnering interest from various parties worldwide. Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe emerged as top contenders, both submitting multiple offers to the Glazer family. Nearly a year later, the club’s ownership situation remains uncertain, with reports suggesting it was removed from the market. Ratcliffe has now revealed details of his efforts to acquire a majority stake in United while allowing the Glazers to retain a minority share, drawing on his experiences with French clubs Laussane-Sport and OGC Nice in an interview on INEOS’ YouTube channel.
“The Manchester United bid would have been inconceivable two or three years ago if we hadn’t encountered certain experiences – some of which were quite challenging – with Laussane and Nice,” he elaborated.
Ratcliffe went on to emphasize that “failure” was not an option if he were in charge, subtly alluding to the Glazers’ turbulent ownership.
“One cannot seriously contemplate acquiring an institution like Manchester United and entertain the thought of failure, as failure would be both too public and excruciating in a venture of this magnitude,” he continued.
Despite reports suggesting that the Glazers have withdrawn the club from the market, The Sun asserts that Sheikh Jassim has, in fact, agreed to a £6 billion takeover of United, with the deal potentially concluding as early as mid-October.
Sheikh Jassim’s representatives are reportedly conducting their due diligence before finalizing a complete takeover of Old Trafford, successfully outbidding Ratcliffe in the process.
