Jim Ratcliffe confirms interest in buying Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly confirmed that his firm Ineos have officially entered the race to buy Manchester United.
The Glazers announced their plans to sell United in November, 17 years after taking over at Old Trafford.
They want £5billion for the club, and Ineos have now registered their interest in ousting them, ac‐ cording to The Times.
Formal bids are set to begin in February, and offers are expected to come in from parties in the US, Middle East and Asia.
Ratcliffe, who is listed by Forbes as Britain's richest man, has made his intentions clear early, though, as he looks to avoid missing out on buying the Premier League club.
United are not the only English club that Ratcliffe has tried to buy, as he also made a late bid for Chelsea last year when they were put for sale by Roman Abramovich.
His audacious offer failed, as an American consortium led by Todd Boehly took over instead, paying £2.5bn, while also pledg‐ ing to commit £1.75bn in further investment down the line.
The Glazers are hoping for an even bigger figure, and could get their wish if United's resurgence continues under Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils have won all seven of their matches since the World Cup, including Saturday's Manchester derby, to move into the top four.
If they can go on to mount a title challenge, this could push the Glazers' asking price up even fur‐ ther.
The Glazers are reported to be open to consider offers for a mi‐ nority stake in the club, but a full sale is regarded as a more likely outcome, and this could be con‐ cluded before the season con‐ cludes.
United's owners have become increasingly unpopular with fans over the years, with multiple protests held to voice displeasure at the direction that the club has been heading.
Ratcliffe could be the man to re‐ place them at the helm, but Ineos will have to consider what thy want to do with Ligue 1 club Nice, who they currently own.
UEFA rules stipulate that clubs under the same owner cannot enter the same European compe‐ tition.
With this in mind, it is under‐ stood that Ineos are looking into alternative ownership models for Nice.