Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to purchase a 25% stake at Manchester United for a reported £1.5 billion

2025 will mark 20 years of the Glazers ownership at Manchester United.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to purchase a 25% stake at Manchester United for a reported £1.5 billion

Sir Jim Ratcliffe buys a 25% stake in Manchester United. (Image via Monaco Tribune)

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO of INEOS chemicals group, plans to buy a 25% share of Manchester United in a £1.5 billion deal. He originally wanted a bigger share but couldn’t reach an agreement with the owners.

Now, he’s settling for a minority stake due to Sheikh Jassim‘s withdrawal. His offer is likely to be approved at an upcoming United board meeting. Nonetheless, Manchester United fans are still upset.

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They hoped for a complete takeover by Qatar, which included clearing the club’s debt and paying the Glazers for the entire ownership. The Glazers turned down these offers, leaving many fans angry, though not shocked. Now, with Sheikh Jassim backing out of the purchase, United fans worry they might never be free from the Glazers.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe – once the board accepts the offer- will conduct a 100-day review of Manchester United to gauge the club’s operations on and off the pitch.

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The Glazers remain as majority stakeholders at Manchester United

The Glazers have remained a controversial figure in Manchester United’s deep history ever since the American family purchased the club in 2005 through a leveraged buyout using the club’s assets as collateral when the purchase took place. A club that had remained debt-free since its inception found themselves, overnight, £649 Million in debt. As of 2023, the debt has increased to £969.9 Million.

Avram Glazer, Joel Glazer- The Glazers of Manchester United
(L-R) Avram Glazer, Joel Glazer (Source: Sky Sports)

In 2022, The Glazers were finally willing to sell the club hiring The Raine Group to facilitate the transfer of ownership. Two main bidders emerged, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim. Fans were overjoyed at the prospect of the Glazer’s ‘reign of terror’ finally coming to a close.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted a majority stake in the club whereas Sheikh Jassim wanted a full takeover. Both would rid Premier League club, United of the Glazers.

However, with recent revelations of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid for a minority stake and Sheikh Jassim’s withdrawal from negotiations – now looking to purchase Inter Milan, The Glazers will remain as majority stakeholders, much to the dismay of United supporters.

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