Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he wants to buy Manchester United

 

If the Glazers are willing to sell the insolvent team, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the richest man in Britain, is interested in purchasing a stake in Manchester United.

After yet another disastrous start to the Premier League season, pressure is rising on the American owners. Former director Michael Knighton has previously stated his plans to carry out a hostile takeover, and Ineos CEO Ratcliffe, a lifelong supporter of Manchester United, is now prepared to join the consortium.

Ratcliffe had already distanced himself from purchasing United and was one of the people interested in purchasing Chelsea this year. But he has now said in a new statement that he would be a willing investor. Jim is undoubtedly a prospective buyer if the club is up for sale, Ratcliffe's representative told the Times. If something similar could be done, we would be open to discussing long-term ownership.

The announcement comes just after news broke that the Glazers, who have owned United for 17 turbulent years, are thinking about selling a small portion of the organization. It is thought that preliminary negotiations regarding selling shares and attracting new investment have already occurred.

And according to Radcliffe, further funding is needed to renovate the facilities off the field as well as to make improvements off the field. "This is not about how much money was or was not spent. Jim is considering his options and feels that a fresh start is in order given how crucial the club is to the community.

However, there is little chance of a quick transfer of authority because the current owners are certain they will not give up all control. That is in spite of additional protests that fans have planned, with some planning to march in front of Old Trafford before to Monday night's game against Liverpool.

Although there are concerns about Knighton's ability to consummate a deal after his infamously unsuccessful effort to buy the Glazers in 1989, he has been very explicit about how he plans to remove them from their position.

He has since disclosed that he has spoken to other billionaires in an effort to equal the £6 billion valuation and that his goal is to "smoke out" Ratcliffe.

For the past three to four months, I have been speaking with small-time billionaires, Knighton told ITV News. It's interesting that some fan groups approached me and begged me to take action, saying, "Look, our club is dying on its feet."

Ex-Man United director Michael Knighton is fronting a consortium to acquire the club from the Glazers

"I made a few calls, and ever since then, I've been putting this consortium together. The legendary Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not us. These are not resources we have. We are not some sovereign nation-state fund with $2 billion in oil earnings every day. The key aspect is that somebody has to speak out.We will submit the offer through our own consortia, but I'll be honest: We lack the resources to complete everything that is required.

Regarding the possibility of Ratcliffe being involved in the acquisition, Knighton continued, "If we can smoke the great Sir Jim out of buying Manchester United, my consortium will be punching the air because we've accomplished what we wanted to."

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