Monaco-based British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS have submitted an official bid to buy Manchester United, following a bid by the chairman of one of Qatar’s biggest banks, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Ratcliffe already owns AS Monaco’s neighbouring rivals OGC Nice, but this won’t stop Britain’s richest man from attempting to acquire the Old Trafford club, having been a life-long fan of the ‘Red Devils’.
Steeped in history and success, United are undoubtedly among the world’s most famous clubs. However, the Premier League team is not what it once was, a decline that many supporters of the club attribute to the Glazer family, which has owned United since their takeover in 2005. Complaints soon turned into protests, with many chanting “Glazers out!” in front of Old Trafford.
Now, a battle of bids will ensue, with the price of the club expected to surpass a staggering five billion euros mark.
“The bid plans to return the club to its former glories,” said Sheikh Jassim’s Qatari consortium, before adding that “the vision of the bid is for Manchester United to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world.”
Meanwhile, the Ratcliffe-owned Ineos group has yet to release a statement, but it is understood the proposal will emphasise that Manchester-born Ratcliffe would be “a British custodian for the club” and would aim to “put the Manchester back into Manchester United”.
Featured image: Monaco resident and Britain’s richest man Jim Ratcliffe in the Stade Louis II
