Ineos chairman and CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of the richest men in Britain, has officially confirmed that he is interesed in buying Manchester United.
The Red Devils’ present owners, the Glazer family, have been in control of the club for 17 years since completing their full takeover in the summer of 2005.
The Americans’ ownership was immediately met with protests from supporters, who have continued to voice their opposition to the Glazers in recent years.
Ratcliffe, who is a Man United fan, is now confirmed to be launching a bid, with a spokesperson telling The Times: “We have formally put ourselves into the process.”
The 70-year-old was one of the parties interested in buying Chelsea from Roman Abramovich last year, but he fell short with a £4.25bn bid to take over at Stamford Bridge, where he is a season ticket holder.
Ratcliffe also owns Ligue 1 side Nice and Swiss Super League outfit FC Lausanne-Sport, as well as acquiring a stake in Mercedes’ Formula One team in 2020.
