Transfer Centre

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

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 02 May 2023

Ratcliffe 'wants immediate control of Man United transfers'

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.

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.