Manchester United Up For Sale? Jim Ratcliffe Among Potential Buyers

It’s been 17 long years since the takeover of Manchester United by the Glazer family and it’s fair to say times have been cruel.

Fans have never been more disillusioned with the way the club has been run than they are right now. Tempers have flared in the past as well but, this time something big might be on the cards.

Protests have been planned and there’s talk of a hostile bid bubbling under the surface.
The Glazer family are hoping to ride this one out as well but it looks as if there’s no time left for making amends.

According to recent reports, a trio of consortia are circling with a view to submitting a formal bid.
The owners, however, are holding out with the price tag set at £5 billion.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a billionaire with the financial might to complete a takeover at Manchester United, wants to buy the club, a spokesperson for Ratcliffe said to The Times;

"If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,” the spokesperson told.If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership.This is not about the money that has been spent or not spent. Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset."

The owner of INEOS previously launched an 11th-hour bid to try and buy Chelsea before Todd Boehly and Clearlake completed the takeover.

In April 2020, Bloomberg Billionaires Index listed Ratcliffe as the second richest person in the UK and the 55th richest person in the world. The boyhood Manchester United fan would initially be interested in buying a minority stake in the club, with a view to eventually taking full control.

According to Forbes, Manchester United are valued at an astounding value of £3.7billion.
Following the news that the Glazers want to sell a minority stake, public shares in the club rose more than 6 per cent on Wednesday to $13.60.

The stock however has fallen by 20 per cent in the last 12 months and is still below the $14 mark.
Discontent among the fans is at an all-time high with protests planned ahead of the Northwest Derby against Liverpool in the Premier League.

Fans inside the ground have been chanting anti-Glazer songs for years, but those voices are only getting louder and stronger.

The Manchester United Faithful Have Simply Seen Enough

Following Manchester United’s involvement in the Super League last year, the fans managed to get the game against their Merseyside rivals called off. However, the protests couldn’t be maintained for long and normality resumed.

Joel Glazer eventually met with MUST (Manchester United Supporters Trust) and proposed a fan share scheme to allow fans to own a certain portion of the club’s shares – something which has yet to come into fruition.

Manchester United’s start to the season has already been nothing short of a nightmare after the club managed to lose against Brighton on the opening day followed by a 4 goal drubbing at the Brentford Community Stadium.

As a Manchester United fan, one can only hope for these things to be resolved as soon as possible and getting the Glazers out of this club is the priority regardless of how many signings they make in this transfer window.

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