Manchester United will go into Monday night’s clash against Liverpool surrounded by rumours of a potential takeover - with billionaire businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe the latest to throw his hat into the ring.
Erik Ten Hag’s side have got off to the worst possible start this season, losing to Brighton on the opening weekend before last Saturday’s 4-0 humiliation at Brentford, which makes a Monday night’s clash against the Reds a daunting prospect for some. Jurgen Klopp’s side ran riot in Manchester last season, with a Mohamed Salah hat-trick contributing to a 5-0 win.
The Ineos founder and majority shareholder - worth an estimated £10.7billion - announced his interest with a statement to The Times , in which a spokesperson said: "If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer. If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership."
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Ratcliffe’s statement of intent comes after a report from Bloomberg stating that current owners, the Glazer family, are open to selling a minority stake - although they insist the club is not for sale. The much-maligned owners have been in charge at Old Trafford since 2003 but the downturn in the club’s fortunes have led to a revolt.
Supporters’ groups have held several protests over the years - including the infamous pitch invasion two seasons ago that forced their game against Liverpool to be postponed - and plan to do so again before Monday night’s game.
On Tuesday evening, Tesla owner and the world’s richest man Elon Musk tweeted that he was planning to buy the club - although he quickly dispelled the rumour as just a long-standing joke.
Takeover talk only adds to the uncertainty and frustration at Old Trafford ahead of Monday, with fans disillusioned at the running of the club and another poor transfer window in which the once great club have failed to strengthen last season’s vulnerable areas.
They and Liverpool both go into the game at Old Trafford without a win, but while the red half of Merseyside remain largely assured that things will get better, the outlook in Manchester is much more bleak.
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