Man united detested American owners, the Glazer family, are withstanding mounting pressure to sell the club after Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe made clear his intentions to launch a takeover bid.
Ratcliffe, who has an estimated net worth of £12bn, wants to purchase the club outright, having recently failed with a bid to buy Chelsea, while US private equity firm Apollo have entered exclusive talks to acquire a minority share in the club.
Many associated with United are desperate to see the back of Avram and Joel Glazer, but the siblings do not have any plans to cede full control any time soon and are only prepared to offload a small stake.
The US tycoons, who first purchased United back in 2005, have drawn widespread criticism from fans and ex-players for a number of years, having placed the club under huge debts when they first arrived in Manchester.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has long led the calls for the duo to make way for fresh ownership, taking aim at their tendency to withdraw dividends funds for their own personal profit, while supporters have staged numerous protests over the years.
While they do not plan to walk away entirely, the Glazers are prepared to sell minority shares at Old Trafford and, as revealed by Sportsmail, have entered exclusive talks with US private equity firm Apollo.
It is understood Apollo may bring in other investors as part of any deal, however the consortium is not likely to include bidders who missed out on the recent sale of Chelsea, such as Ratcliffe.
A spokesperson, speaking on behalf of the billionaire Ineos owner, outlined that the English businessman views himself as a ‘potential buyer’ of the Red Devils.
Ratcliffe, a self-confessed Manchester United fan, has the aim of taking full control of the club in the future.
Earlier this year the 69-year-old tried to purchase Chelsea but saw his late bid turned down as current owner Todd Boehly and his consortium took ownership of the London club.
Ratcliffe tabled a last-minute £4.25billion offer to purchase the Stamford Bridge side in May but now aims to become Manchester United owner after registering his interest.
Ineos revealed that company founder and Britain’s richest man has plans to buy the record Premier League holders after reacting to previous news regarding potential investment in the club.
‘If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,’ the spokesman told The Times.
