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The takeover has dragged on for seven months but is now a straight shootout between Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, with the latter tabling a fifth – and supposedly final – bid on June 7.
That take-it-or-leave-it offer is thought to be worth around £6billion and is for a full buyout, whereas the Ineos bid would see Ratcliffe buy a majority stake.
The latter proposal is thought to appeal to two of the Glazer siblings, Avram and Joel, who are keen to retain their shares, whereas the bigger cash offer from Qatar is favoured by the rest of the family.
With the summer transfer window now in full swing, the lack of clarity over the sale has become an increasing concern for supporters, but Sir Jim has now provided an update on the ongoing process.
‘We obviously can’t say too much because we’ve signed an NDA and we respect that but there’s still a process and we’re in the process,’ he said at a book launch this week.
‘We have a good offer – we’ve met the Glazers a couple of times and we had a good conversation but at the end of the day it’s their decision… we would still very much like to do it.
‘I also believe we would do a good job and do it for the right reasons. We keep very focused on it.’
On why he is so keen to buy the football club, Ratcliffe continued: ‘They ain’t making them any more. Manchester United and these type of clubs, it’s like art or areas like that.
‘When you have special things and their value continues to pick up over time because they are very special and rare.
‘I don’t like throwing money away or losing money.
‘It doesn’t make me happy at all. But we aren’t there to make money out of it. If it’s a really good asset it will increase it’s value over time.’
Asked if he might consider renaming Old Trafford when he takes over, possibly to promote Ineos in some way, he replied: ‘God no, that would be heresy.’
Sir Jim also briefly touched on the fact that the rival Qatari bid would not have a blank cheque book should they win, adding: ‘You can only spend the money that you receive. Obviously that wasn’t always the case, for example with PSG and Manchester City.’
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