Manchester United are getting closer to being rid of the Glazer family as prime candidate Sir Jim Ratcliffe has shown his project to the club’s hierarchy, according to reports.
Having owned Man Utd since 2005, it finally looks like the Glazers could depart Old Trafford for good. In November it emerged that they had put the club up for sale. Ratcliffe, who is a Man Utd fan and Britain’s richest person, was immediately named as a potential buyer.
And on January 27, reports in Italy claimed the billionaire businessman was in ‘advanced’ talks with the Glazers over buying the Red Devils.
The takeover was described as being ‘close’ at that point, although it has yet to reach completion so far.
The Daily Mail have provided the latest on Ratcliffe and Man Utd. They reveal how Ratcliffe has held discussions with senior club officials, including chief executive Richard Arnold.
Ratcliffe has attempted to ‘charm’ them by unveiling his ambitious plans for Man Utd. He is not the only interested party to have done this, with a Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani having put forward their project on Thursday.
Ratcliffe has been pictured smiling outside Old Trafford after his presentation. He has since been shown around the club’s Carrington training base, the Daily Mail report.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe already supports Man Utd
The 70-year-old is viewed as being the ideal next owner for Man Utd given the fact he already supports the club. This means he should be a compassionate owner, someone who is ready to do whatever it takes to help Man Utd become a major force in European football once again.
Plus, Amnesty International have expressed concern that Qatari ownership of Man Utd could be viewed as sportswashing. This is due to Qatar’s history of human rights violations.
Whichever party wins the race to buy Man Utd, it will signal the start of a new era for the club. Both prospective owners are hugely wealthy and would therefore be able to pump money into improving the senior squad. This could result in top stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham heading to Manchester.
