By Promise Eze
Manchester United is set to have a new owner as the Glazers have selected Ineos founder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as their preferred bidder.
The decision comes after a five-month-long battle of takeover between Ratcliffe and Qatari banker, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani.
According to The Sun, an official announcement of Ratcliffe’s successful bid could come “within days”. The sale has been overseen by US bank Raine Group, with three rounds of bidding having taken place.
While two of the Glazer family members, Joel and Avram, will not be selling their shares and will remain as part of the ownership group at United, the other four Glazer siblings will be selling theirs.
The news of Ratcliffe’s selection has been met with mixed reactions from United fans. Some are optimistic about the future of the club under new ownership, while others are cautious about the track record of Ineos, which also owns cycling team, Team Ineos.
It remains to be seen what changes Ratcliffe will bring to the club and how he plans to take Manchester United forward in the coming years.
