Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe confirms interest in buying Manchester United

Ratcliffe’s statement follows reports that the Glazers are considering selling a stake in the club

Jamie Braidwood
Wednesday 17 August 2022 19:57 BST
Comments
Elon Musk tweets that he is buying Manchester United

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has confirmed his interest in buying Manchester United if the Glazers are willing to listen to offers for the club.

A spokesperson for the Ineos owner told The Times that the billionaire is a “potential buyer” if a minority stake in the club is up for sale.

The Independent reported earlier on Wednesday of the growing belief that the Manchester United owners the Glazers would sell the club for $6bn, with at least three consortiums considering making a formal bid.

The Times reported that Ratcliffe wants to buy a stake in the Premier League side’s ownership with a view to taking full control of the club.

“If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership,” added the spokesperson for Ratcliffe, who has previously made his interest in United publicly known.

“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.”

Manchester United did not comment when asked by The Independent earlier on Wednesday whether the club is for sale.

Meanwhile, the growing belief that the Glazers would listen to offers has seen the club’s share price rise sharply on the US stock exchange.

Ratcliffe is a Manchester United supporter and although Ineos made a late attempt to buy Chelsea, The Independent has reported that his bid was interpreted as a message to the Glazers.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in