London — British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos company officially joined the race to buy Manchester United on Tuesday.
United’s owners, the Glazer family, said they were willing to listen to offers for the Premier League club in November.
Boyhood United fan Ratcliffe, who made an unsuccessful £4.25-billion bid to buy Chelsea last year, has long been linked with the Old Trafford outfit.
“We have formally put ourselves into the process,” an Ineos spokesperson told the BBC.
After failing with his Chelsea takeover after Roman Abramovich sold the Blues to American tycoon Todd Boehly and his consortium, Ratcliffe is back in the hunt for a Premier League giant.
United have yet to comment on the news of the 70-year-old’s interest in taking over from the US-based Glazers.
But, born in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, Ratcliffe is one of Britain’s richest men and might be more palatable to the United supporters than the Glazers, who have experienced numerous fan protests during their troubled reign since buying the club in 2005.
After a dismal sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season, United have been revitalised by boss Erik ten Hag and sit fourth in the table after beating arch rivals Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday.
AFP
