Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s position on selling Man United stake as fresh Qatar takeover update emerges

 The ownership picture at Manchester United could still change, with both Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers involved.

It’s been over 18 months since Ineos took charge of Manchester United, following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.2 billion deal for the club.

Since then, Ratcliffe has raised his stake to 29%, including a personal investment that covered a £50 million overhaul of Carrington.

The Glazers are still majority owners, but Ratcliffe and Ineos now have control over football operations at Old Trafford.

There’s also a clause in place that could lead to a full takeover – if another buyer comes forward with an acceptable bid, Ratcliffe would be required to sell his shares.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe not looking to sell Manchester United shares

Ratcliffe’s first year in charge of United was marked by a series of unpopular decisions, including widespread job cuts and higher costs for fans.

His net worth also took a significant hit, leading some to question his long-term commitment to the club.

But according to the Daily Mail, Ratcliffe has no intention of selling his shares. He and his team understand that turning United around will be a gradual process, with the ultimate goal being a return to the top of world football.

The Glazer clause is seen more as an emergency measure than something likely to be activated. As one source put it, it’s “a safety mechanism to be used in a Doomsday scenario rather than a likely option.”

Sheikh Jassim’s stance on reigniting a Qatar takeover

The two main candidates during United’s takeover saga were Ratcliffe and Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim.

Qatar was looking to take full ownership of the club, putting forward a bid just under £5bn.

In the end, Ratcliffe’s minority stake valued United higher overall, which helped sway the decision in his favour. There have been rumours since then that Qatar might still be interested, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore.

The Daily Mail also reports that while Qatar has continued to monitor United from afar, they currently have no intention of jumping back into another takeover battle.

Instead, their focus has shifted towards other ventures like their push to host the 2036 Olympics. They now see buying United as even more challenging than it was in 2023.