Man Utd takeover delay explained as Ratcliffe ‘makes threat’ over Glazer demands
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains in Manchester United takeover talks behind the scenes amid an air of public uncertainty over the Glazers’ intentions. However, the 70-year-old billionaire has threatened to walk away from the negotiation table over a bold demand from United’s current owners, according to reports.
Ten months have passed since the Glazer family announced a strategic review, which included a potential sale.
Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani have battled to take control of United, with the latter eyeing a 100 per cent sale.
But Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s richest men, has plans for majority investment, which could allow Joel and Avram Glazer to stay at Old Trafford in some capacity.
Ongoing negotiations are reportedly focused on bridging the gap between the two parties’ latest bids and the Glazers’ valuation, said to be around £6billion.
Ratcliffe’s direct talks with the unpopular American family are claimed to be more detailed but potentially at risk of collapsing over a double demand.
According to reputable United insider Phil Brown, the Glazers are attempting to convince the INEOS boss to agree to more than letting them stay.
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They also want to retain their voting rights on the board, which would effectively keep them in control of day-to-day matters at the club.
Most supporters would welcome majority investment from Ratcliffe as long as the Glazers’ voting rights were removed after 18 years of mismanagement at the helm.
However, such an agreement would only intensify ongoing protests against the ownership, with the fanbase desperate to remove the family from the club entirely.
And the report suggests Ratcliffe agrees. INEOS have allegedly threatened to walk away from a deal during talks in recent weeks if the Glazers continue to push to stay on board.
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Earlier this month, Ratcliffe explained that failure wasn’t an option during a sit-down chat on INEOS’ YouTube channel.
He said: “The Manchester United bid would have been unthinkable two or three years ago if we hadn’t had some of the experiences – some quite difficult experiences with Lausanne and Nice.
“You can’t really contemplate acquiring a brand like Manchester United and failing because the failure is just far too public and excruciating in a deal like that.”
And new claims that Ratcliffe’s side is more confident about the prospect of the Glazers selling than Sheikh Jassim’s Qatari bid may indicate that the process has swung in the Brit’s favour.
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