In recent news, it has been confirmed that Manchester United has undergone a change in ownership. This trend will be expected to provoke substantial condemnation.

On November 22, 2022, a huge quantity of activity took place. A formal departure announcement was made by Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, Argentina’s first World Cup match was a defeat against Saudi Arabia, and the Glazer family has put the entire club up for sale.

Ronaldo is the face of Saudi football, Argentina is the current world champions, and United’s time in the shop window may be gratefully coming to an end. It has been almost a year, although it seems like much more time has passed.

On October 14, 2023, it became public knowledge that Sir Jim Ratcliffe had outwitted Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani by electing to purchase a minority share in United. This decision had been made in order to circumvent Sheikh Jassim’s influence.

You now have all of the knowledge you need to fully comprehend Ratcliffe’s strategy and how it will have an effect on the despised Glazer family, who run United.

What is the specific nature of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s proposed takeover of Manchester United?

At the time when the deadline for revised offers was in April, Ratcliffe made a proposal to buy a 51% share in the team, which would have left Joel and Avram Glazer as minority owners. However, there was a clear concern that Ratcliffe’s plan, which only included buying shares from the Glazers, would decrease the value of the stock held by the club’s remaining owners. This was because the plan only included buying shares from the Glazers. According to reports, the board of directors of United was concerned about the risk of being sued.

According to what was reported by 90 Minutes at the beginning of October, Ratcliffe entertained the idea of acquiring a minority share in United in order to acquire access to the club he played for as a child.

A second offer was made by the owner of the enormous petrochemical business INEOS to buy a 25% share in the club for an absurd price of £1.3 billion, with the option to buy additional shares in the club in the future.

According to rumors, Ratcliffe’s aggressive bid, which values the team at over five billion pounds, is contingent on him taking complete control for all of the team’s athletic decisions. This involves selecting the head coach of the first team, the football director, and potentially even the players that are signed to the club.

What led Sheikh Jassim to change his mind about being the next owner of Manchester United?

A group from Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation was given a tour of the Theatre of Dreams the day before Ratcliffe was welcomed by Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold outside Old Trafford in March 2023.

Jassim’s cash offer for a 100% share cemented his position as Ratcliffe’s most formidable competitor after a number of US hedge funds withdrew after the initial soft deadline in the spring of 2023.

But after months of discussions that never appeared to clear up the enigma surrounding Jassim — a man whose own representatives were unable to establish his exact age – the Nine Two Foundation withdrew from the competition when they refused to increase their most recent offer. This caused the Nine Two Foundation to lose the opportunity to win the competition.

In addition to contributing an additional £1.4 billion to finance a new stadium, training facility, and transfer fund, the last offer, which was anticipated to have a price tag of £5 billion, pledged to pay off the club’s debt of £725 million accumulated by the Glazers.

The Glazer family placed United’s value at a staggering ten billion dollars, which is considerably more than the estimation of two and a half billion dollars that was determined from the stock market status of the team. Despite the fact that Sheikh Jassim claimed to have a considerable amount of cash, he was unwilling to part with any more money.

What opportunities does Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in Manchester United present for the Glazer family?

When seen with the advantage of hindsight, the original language of the press announcement that offered United’s for sale in November appears to be telling. “new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company” were all part of the “process to explore strategic alternatives” that were being undertaken. The Glazers never really committed to making a clean start, in spite of the fans’ continuous pleading for them to leave the franchise.

By purchasing only 25% of the team, including shares from the Glazers and other investors, Ratcliffe is avoiding any potential legal complications and will not be able to unseat the American family from their position as leaders of United.

It is uncertain whether the Glazers will hand over sports control to Ratcliffe despite the fact that this endeavor has never been the Glazers’ top concern. Regardless of the circumstances, they will still have a significant impact on the club. Since their leveraged purchase in 2005, the Glazers have received dividends that have totaled more than £9 million yearly, which is equivalent to over £165 million. Why would they give up this easy stream of revenue when they could get it for a price that was lower than their ridiculous valuations?

In the following week, the board of directors of the club will have a vote to decide whether or not to grant Ratcliffe’s request. In spite of the fact that they control 96% of the votes, the six Glazer brothers possess only six of the available twelve seats. If they wish for this arrangement to be finalized, it will be.