The list is getting longer. The British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is now interested in the famous English club.
According to several sources, the American Glazer family, which has controlled the club since 2005, is considering selling a minority stake in the Premier League club, currently 20th and last in the standings after two rounds.
According to The Times, the Ineos spokesman said that Jim Ratcliffe, often referred to as Britain’s richest man, is ready to buy a minority stake, “if possible,” to prepare “in the long term,” a total takeover at Old Trafford.
This announcement comes in the evening of a day marked by the untimely intrusion, via his Twitter account, of the billionaire Elon Musk in this case. The Tesla and SpaceX boss initially suggested that he would buy Manchester United. Before clarifying, a few hours later: “No, it’s a joke (…). I have no plans to buy any sports club”.
The Glazers, this American family, invested in the English club in 2005 but have frequently been criticized or accused of using it as a cash cow instead of investing in players or renovating the Old Trafford stadium. It supported the stillborn project of a closed European Super League last April. Manchester United has not won the English league title since 2013, nor a major trophy since 2017.
Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, an avowed Manchester United fan, tried to buy London club Chelsea last spring but was beaten in the closing stages by the consortium around American businessman Todd Boehly.
The Ineos group owns two European clubs, OGC Nice in the French Ligue 1 and FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland. The group also owns a leading cycling team (ex-Sky) and sponsors the Mercedes Formula 1, team.
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