Sir Jim Ratcliffe could take sporting control at Manchester United as early as this week, with club board members set to vote on ratifying his bid for a minority investment. The INEOS chief has beaten Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani by offering the Glazers a staggering £1.4billion for a 25 per cent stake in the club.
The 11-month sale process is nearing a conclusion after Sheikh Jassim withdrew his £5bn bid on Saturday, handing Ratcliffe a free path to getting his foot in the door at Old Trafford.
The 70-year-old British billionaire has accepted to pursue an initial minority stake as the first step of a phased takeover.
His victory has been met with negativity in some quarters of the United fanbase, given it has allowed the Glazers to retain their grip on the club they have plunged into debt since coming into power in 2005.
However, Ratcliffe is a boyhood Red Devils fan – who was present at the Nou Camp for the 1999 treble win – and views his investment as a sporting project rather than a commercial cash cow.
And he will start an overhaul of the sporting side of the club almost instantly, driving change before he buys out the rest of the Glazer shares in the coming years.
Express Sport provides all the latest Manchester United takeover LIVE updates as Ratcliffe nears the finish line.
