Are Glazers selling Manchester United? Details on potential sale, investment by Sir Jim Ratcliffe

The Glazer family has owned English football giants Manchester United since 2005.

However, their tenure was riddled with controversy, with fans often protesting their ownership of the club.

As hostility towards the Glazers flares up again after a poor start to the 2022-23 season for the Red Devils, there are signs the family may finally be ready to sell in some form.

Will the Glazers sell Manchester United?

After over 15 years in ownership, various reports suggest the Glazers could be ready to cede some control of Manchester United.

Bloomberg reported on August 17 that preliminary talks were being held that the Glazers could potentially land a new investor who would get a minority stake in the club.

The Independent later claimed the Glazers could seek to sell all of their shares for around $6 billion (£4.9 billion).

Both reports indicate that Chelsea’s recent lucrative sale could tempt the Glazers to cash in soon as ratings for the club peak despite poor performances on the pitch.

Sentiment around the current owners of Manchester United also remains rather grim as fan protests took place following the recent home defeat to Brighton.

Who could buy Manchester United?

At least three potential syndicates stand ready to buy Manchester United should the Glazers decide to sell, according to The Independent.

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a leading contender to replace the Glazers, having previously made a bid to buy Chelsea.

Ratcliffe is a Manchester United fan and already owns two football clubs, OGC Nice and Lausanne-Sport.

“If the club is up for sale then Jim is definitely a potential buyer,” a spokesman for Ratcliffe was quoted as saying by The Times.

“If something like this were possible, we would be interested in a discussion with a view to long-term ownership.

“This isn’t about the money spent or unspent. Jim is reviewing what can be done now and knowing how important the club is to the city it feels like the time has come for a reset.”

Businessman Michael Knighton attempted to buy Man United in 1989 and is putting together another consortium to try and take over the club.

Knighton has spoken to a handful of billionaires in recent months, including Ratcliffe, and is simply hoping a new owner can emerge.

“If we can smoke out the great Sir Jim to buy Manchester United then my consortium will thrash the air because we have achieved what we set out to do,” Knighton told ITV.

“We will submit the bid with our own consortium, but I’m telling you, we don’t have the resources available to do everything necessary.”

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca both tried to buy Chelsea earlier this year and could also be in the running for the Red Devils.

Tesla owner Elon Musk joked this week that he’s buying the Red Devils, before later clarifying it was a joke.

Who is Jim Ratcliffe?

If Manchester United is to find a new owner, Jim Ratcliffe is the most likely person to take over.

The 69-year-old was born in the Greater Manchester region and grew up with the Red Devils.

Ratcliffe founded the chemical company Ineos in 1998, which has allowed him to build an estimated net worth of £12 billion ($14.4 million).

He has previously expressed his interest in buying Manchester United should the opportunity arise and his recent late offer for Chelsea shows he is ready to pounce.

Ratcliffe has already acquired two football clubs through Ineos: French club OGC Nice and Swiss team Laussane-Sport.

“We made some mistakes in Lausanne, but we’re learning fast, those have been fixed and we’re already seeing the benefits,” Ratcliffe said after finalizing a deal for the sale of Nice in 2019.

“Clubs need to be successful off and on the pitch and Nice will be no different.

“We’ve looked at a lot of clubs for the way we look at businesses in Ineos – by value and potential – and Nice fits that criteria.”

Outside of football, Ratcliffe also bought cycling franchise Team Sky, renamed the Ineos Grenadiers, in 2019, while Ineos has sponsorship deals with Mercedes AMG F1 and the All Blacks.