MX23RW : Friday, May 17 21:21:49| >> :120:8880:8880:

Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'wants immediate control of Manchester United transfers'

Ratcliffe 'wants immediate control of Man United transfers'
© Reuters
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly demanding for immediate control of transfers at Manchester United should he successfully complete his proposed takeover of the Premier League club.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will reportedly demand for immediate control of transfers at Manchester United should he successfully complete his proposed takeover of the Premier League club.

The takeover process to purchase the Red Devils from the Glazer family has entered a third round of bidding, with both Ratcliffe's Ineos and Qatari investor Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani tabling their latest offers before the 10pm deadline last Friday.

Ratcliffe's bid is understood to be for a majority stake of just over 50% of Man United, leaving the Glazers with a minority shareholding of around 20%.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Jassim's proposal is to complete a full takeover of the club and he is said to have made a world-record bid of £5bn, which still falls short of the Glazer's £6bn asking price.

US merchant bankers Raine Group are working with the Glazer family on the proposed sale of Man United and will evaluate the latest offers, along with asking the bidders to clarify the source of their wealth, before making a potential announcement within the coming weeks.

Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe is pictured at Old Trafford in Manchester, Britain, March 17, 2023© Reuters

The possibility of the third round of bidding going beyond the end of the current season and into the summer transfer window has not been ruled out, though.

According to The Telegraph, Ratcliffe's latest offer includes demands to gain immediate control of the club's transfer dealings as soon as a potential deal in agreed.

However, the report adds that any requests to gain complete control of the club prior to completing a purchase are unlikely to be accepted by the Glazers.

Ratcliffe is said to be focused on having immediate power over incoming and outgoings, while Sheikh Jassim is keen to gain a greater oversights of United's club affairs should his 100% takeover be accepted.

The Qatari's proposal would require the Glazers to run any financial commitments past Sheikh Jassim and co as soon as a potential agreement is reached.

However, the report states that any requests for complete control of club dealings could be "a legal and theoretical impossibility" before a deal is finalised.

General view inside Old Trafford before the match on January 10, 2022© Reuters

Ratcliffe is said to be open to keeping on some siblings of the Glazer family, most likely Joel and Avram, as minority shareholders, but the 70-year-old intends to be one of the figureheads of United's recruitment going forward, with United embarking on an important transfer window under manager Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils, who announced losses of £115.5m for last season in September, are expected to offload a number of first-team and fringe players this summer to generate funds, with current club captain Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial and Aaron Wan-Bissaka among those who could be facing the axe.

The likes of Jadon Sancho, Victor Lindelof, Scott McTominay, Fred, Donny Van de Beek, Alex Telles and Eric Bailly have also been linked with a potential departure from Old Trafford ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

As for possible incomings, Ten Hag is believed to be prioritising the addition of a new centre-forward, with Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, Randal Kolo Muani and Lautaro Martinez among several strikers believed to be on United's shortlist.

ID:512900:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6617:

Manchester United takeover - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Jim Ratcliffe

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United attacker Jadon Sancho on February 1, 2023
Read Next:
Sancho, Maguire 'among 15 Man United players facing axe this summer'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City37277393336088
2Arsenal37275589286186
3Liverpool372310484414379
4Aston Villa37208976562068
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs371961271611063
6Chelsea371791175621360
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle371761481602157
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd37176145558-357
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham371410135971-1252
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton371212135560-548
11Bournemouth37139155365-1248
12Crystal Palace371210155258-646
13Wolverhampton WanderersWolves37137175063-1346
14Fulham37128175159-844
15Everton37139153949-1040
16Brentford37109185461-739
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3789204766-1929
18Luton TownLuton3768235081-3126
RBurnley3759234076-3624
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd37372735101-6616


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!